


The Mummy: The Tomb Robbers Secret

by martykate



Category: The Mummy (1999)
Genre: Ancient Egypt, Camel, Deir El Medina, Desert, Egypt, England - Freeform, F/M, Gen, Horses, Howard Carter - Freeform, Karnak - Freeform, Lord Carnarvon, Luxor - Freeform, Med-Jay/Med-Jai, Nile - Freeform, Oxford, Priests, Sorbonne - Freeform, Tutankhamen, Valley of the Kings', ancient treasures, bedouin, grave goods, tombs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 51,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24789184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martykate/pseuds/martykate
Summary: For many years rumors have persisted that there are caches of gold, precious stones, and unguents that tomb robbers had dropped or hidden in their haste to escape the guards that watched over the Valley of the Kings. Archaeologist Professor Thomas Wilkes-Emberly believes these rumors are true and is determined to find them.Ardeth-Bey is the son of a sheikh of a Bedouin trib,e the Med-jai, that has guarded the Valley of the Kings and the workers' village Deir El Medina. He watches over Wilkes-Emberly and his archaeologist daughter Roma, but she does not like Ardeth Bey, she finds him overconfident and arrogant. The fact that he is handsome only makes it worse.Wilkes-Emberly has asked Ardeth for his help. He wishes him to protect Roma, for unbeknownst to them, he is sending her on a dangerous quest, one that could cost her her life.
Relationships: Evy Carnahan O'Connell/Rick O'Connell, OC/Ardeth Bey
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you're looking for Imhotep and Anck-su-namen (and by the way, that's not an authentic Egyptian name: neither is Hamunaptra, that would be Hittite or Babylonian). I don't think the two of them will make an appearance, but , then again, I hadn't planned on using Rick and Evie until I realized they were necessary to the story. Don't know what to tell you Jonathan fans (I like him myself), I don't know if he'll make an appearance or not.
> 
> When I write fan fiction, I like to just take characters and make a unique story of my own, I hope I've succeeded in doing this. 
> 
> Happy Reading!

Tomb robbing has been a tradition in Egypt since time immemorial. Not just the tombs in the Valley of the Kings or the Pyramids, even the tombs of the pre-dynastic rulers fell victim, much to the dismay of archaeologists who found them empty. Only Tutankhamen's contained most of its contents and there was evidence that the tomb had been broken into.

The sentences for robbing the pharaohs' graves were harsh and carried out without mercy. No wonder some resorted to dropping their plundered treasures when they heard the sound of the guards at their heels. Some loot was retrieved by the guards but some enterprising thieves were able to hide their spoils with the intention of returning at a later date to retrieve them. Some did, but archaeologist theorized that hidden in the valley lay caches of precious materials that had lain untouched for centuries. All that remained was finding the way to bring them to light.

Archaeologists occasionally stumbled onto these caches, not realizing what they had found. It wasn't until Carter found five gold rings tied up in a scarf that thieves had dropped that it became evident that some loot was either deliberately or inadvertently left behind.

It was thought that such caches were exclusive to the Valley of the Kings until a stash of jewelry and unguents was found in the lost workers' village of Deir el Medina. The village had been walled and was guarded night and day by the guards of the Valley, the Medjay who would search each worker as the entered and exited the village. But the prospect of ill-gotten gold surely had tempted the guards just as easily as it tempted the workers who were responsible for placing the dead pharaohs grave goods into their tombs.

Though the theory was widely dismissed, certain archaeologists gave it credence, it was more than likely than the stolen treasures did not all make it to their destinations. Perhaps of necessity it had been dropped or hidden, but some surely had been deliberately stashed away, perhaps in the hopes of the thief finding a better price. The most likely recipients of the goods had been the priests or the officials in charge of the valley.

After much research, Professor Thomas Wilkes-Emberly believed that the caches not only existed, but he believed he had stumbled upon one and was convinced there were more to be found if one was only patient enough to take the time to look.

Ostensibly he was an expert on identifying royal mummies, one cache having been found near the village of Qurna and guarded and exploited by the infamous Rassul family, and the other in the tomb of Amenhotep II. Every king of the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasty was accounted for, save one, but there were unknown bodies also laying in the tomb. Also, Wilkes-Emberly was not so sure that all the kings were correctly identified, all he could do was assist the Egyptian authorities in arranging them in a display in the Egyptian Museum.

His daughter, Roma, was his assistant and right-hand man. She had obtained a masters in Egyptology at the Sorbonne in Paris was hoping to publish the history of her and her father's work over the years and obtain her doctorate. She was fluent in several languages besides her native English and could converse in fluent Arabic and French which helped greatly in her father's dealing with the head of antiquities. She could read heiroglyphics and heiratic, as well as ancient Greek and Latin.

She had grown up in Egypt, along with her father and mother. When her mother died during a cholera epidemic, she had accompanied her body to France and stayed with relatives for a few years, attending a Jesuit school in Paris. At her father's request she had returned to Egypt and worked with him until it was time for her to enter the Sorbonne at the request of her mother's family.

He couldn't have asked for a better partner. She got along well with the diggers, knew their families and the names of their wives and children. It was she who decided that they were badly underpaid and insisted that her father pay them a fair wage, resulting in his having the best diggers in Egypt.

He could not do without her but he had begun to worry for her. Roma was a lovely young woman but she had cut her hair fashionably, though shockingly, short and he did not remember the last time he had seen her in a dress. She had recently turned twenty-five and he was beginning to grow nostalgic over the thought of grandchildren, but she had had only one brief romance with an official at the museum, and he had been Egyptian of all things.

Roma thought there was nothing wrong with her life, she was doing what she loved best. If there were one thorn in her side it was Ardeth-Bey, a member of the Bedoin tribe who often did work for her father. Ardeth was the son of the tribe's sheikh and clearly thought she was above herself. She remembered the day she came to the camp with her newly shorn hair and the look of outrage on his face at what she had done.

It was bad enough, in Ardeth's opinion, that she dressed like a man, supervised the workers as if it were her right, but now when she should be married and having children—the sacred duty of a woman—she showed no inclination. She was a hard worker and of much help to her father, but it was time she outgrew her hoydenish ways.

"He fancies you, you know," her father had told her, "But he knows of no other way to show it."

"Ha!" she replied, "He fancies only himself. Just wait, in a few years he'll have his four wives allowed by the Quran and lord it over them which he could never do to me. He resents the fact that I am a liberated woman and I do exactly as I like. That does not suit Ardeth-Bey at all, and he'll become even more unbearable when he succeeds his father as sheikh."

She had taken the boat to Cairo to obtain the concession for her father to continue digging in Deir El Medina. They had wanted to obtain permission to dig in the Valley of the Kings but Howard Carter had somehow managed to tie it up yet again. She had heard strange rumors about Carter and his patron Lord Carnarvon. They had been digging in the valley for six years with no results, and it was rumored that Carnarvon had wanted to quit. Carter had offered to fund the excavation himself but out of friendship Carnarvon had insisted on paying.

Rumors had drifted up to the worker's village. The diggers were expected to be tight lipped about their employers but she had heard that Carter had indeed found something. Some steps had been discovered and now gossip was spreading about how they had found a sealed door and were in the process of clearing a corridor.

She didn't like Carter; he was a cold unfriendly man but under the tutelage of Flinders Petrie had become a more than competent archaeologist. It was highly likely that he had found a tomb, and if he had she wished him well. He had worked seven years for this, and if he had found the long-lost tomb of Tutankhamen, more power to him.

After obtaining her father's concession she spent the day wandering around Cairo. The lines to the museum were long but whenever she visited Cairo she always went to the museum, the market, and the Coptic church. After that she would go to their house in Cairo to determine that the servants were keeping it cleaned and aired out for when she and her father returned after digging season. She would spend the night in her room then catch the boat back to Luxor.

She never tired of taking the boat up and down the Nile. She loved to watch the feluccas skimming their way across the Nile. There were birds and the occasional crocodile or even hippo if she was lucky. Fisherman would toss their nets, an enterprising boatman or two would ferry tourists. The Nile was a thing alive and full of wonder.

She was tired when she reached their house in Luxor. "Father, I have it, we're cleared to dig for next year," she called but he did not answer. "Father?" she asked, then heard voices outside on the patio.


	2. The Concession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roma returns from Cairo after obtaining the concession for their permission to dig in Deir El Medina the next season. She finds they have a guest she did not expect--Ardeth Bey is drinking tea with her father and stays for dinner. After her father absents himself from the dinner table, she confides her fears to him

She was surprised to find Ardeth-Bey drinking tea with her father on the patio. He had removed his turban and set it carefully on the table letting the little evening breeze blow through his black curls. 

He saw her and smiled, “Salaam Alaikum,” he said, looking beautiful and golden as he always did. He had recently trimmed his beard, allowing her a better view of his full lips and white teeth. Why did the man have to be so damn good looking? She asked herself for the hundredth time. She remembered the tall skinny boy who taught her to ride bareback and how to avoid being burnt by the sun. It was the fondness she retained for the companion of her childhood that kept her from hating him but the boy had grown up so different from the man that he often tried her patience. 

“Salaam,” she replied and handed her father a manila envelope. “Here it is, your concession for next year. You’re lucky we spread baksheesh to the right hands, there’s a Swiss archaeologist named Bernard Bruyere who was looking to get it. Next year it may not be so easy.” 

"Oh, that wouldn't do, that wouldn't do at all," replied her father, but he only seemed to be half paying attention to her. He had been this way the past two weeks as if something was on his mind but he would not speak of it. He hadn't said anything to her about it, whatever it was, and it puzzled her. She and her father shared everything, they kept no secrets from each other, and now this. 

“We won’t be getting that concession for the Valley of the Kings, either. I heard that Carter cleared the corridor to the tomb he opened and found a sealed doorway at the end of it. He’s waiting for Marriette’s permission to open it, but I don’t think he’ll be patient enough to wait that long. Carnarvon is supposed to be coming for the official opening. If they find anything, if most of the tomb’s contents are intact it will take years to clear it.” 

“Why don’t you people just leave these things alone?” Ardeth asked, “Let whoever is in there rest in peace.” 

“Because if we don’t, the looters will, isn’t that right Father?” her father seemed to draw himself out of his reverie long enough to nod his assent, “What they don’t want they just destroy. The artifacts in tombs are worth a fortune on the black market. There are unscrupulous collectors out there who don’t care how an item is obtained. If we find something it will go to the Egyptian Museum, if a looter finds something it will be lost forever.” 

“Hmm,” Ardeth nodded his head, “Then I suppose you archaeologists see yourself as the lesser of two evils.” 

“Something like that,” she replied, for she did not disagree. It would be nice if artifacts could rest undisturbed in Egyptian soil, but for centuries none had. It was up to the archaeologists to win the race with the looters and preserve Egypt’s heritage for posterity. 

Her father rose and left the table, “I trust that now the two of you are adults you can be trusted to be left alone without fear that you will get into an argument and have to be separated.” He kissed the top of Roma’s head and disappeared into the house. 

She poured herself a cup of tea from the old brass samovar and asked, “Ardeth, you never come to Luxor except for business I am curious as to why you are here.” 

“Your father asked me to come,” he replied in his heavily accented but beautiful English, “I do not care to come to Luxor but his message sounded urgent so I came.” 

“Maybe it is a good thing that you came. I am worried about Father; I have never seen him like this before. He's usually concerned about the concession; he's spent years excavating the workers' village and I thought he'd go to Cairo but he had me take care of it. He hates Howard Carter, considers him an upstart, but Carter has made a major discovery and Father does not seem to care. That's not like him." 

"He seems to draw to someplace within himself and will stare at nothing for hours. I'm the one who's had to supervise the dig, oversee the workers, and make sure they are paid. This is so unlike him that I don't know what to think." 

“I know you do not believe in magic, but it sounds like your father has fallen a spell.” He drew a package of cigarettes from him robes, offered one to her then lit both with a lighter she had never seen before. 

“But from what? Most of the articles in the village were removed by Belzoni and Drovetti over a century ago. We’ve found a few things and a lot of ostracons with drawings, scribbles, or sometimes records. There was nothing sacred about that village, ever, it was built to house the workers building the tombs in a place where the guards could keep an eye on them. These aren’t tombs we’re excavating but peoples’ houses that were deserted when the Valley of the Kings fell out of use. What would there be that could possibly cast a spell on him?” 

"But isn't there a workers' cemetery nearby? People died and their bodies would have to be buried somewhere." 

She took a long draw on her cigarette, then exhaled. “Yes, there is, and some of the tomb paintings are quite lovely, almost the equal of the Pharaohs’ tombs, but I’ve been in many of them and have never seen any sign of a curse. That’s all nonsense if you ask me.” She was quiet for a moment, then chose her words carefully. 

“You know the stories your parents used to tell us, the djinns and monsters that have dwelt in this land before men learned to speak. And Father would tell us stories of the Pharaohs’ tombs and the curses they would write on the walls warning against disturbing the contents of their tombs, well how much good did that do? Every tomb in this valley that archaeologists discovered has been empty. Their bodies were thought to have been destroyed until they found the mummies caches and that’s only from the New Kingdom.” 

“Yet you are concerned that something is wrong with your father,” he pointed out. 

“Yes, I am, he is not himself and if I believed in curses I might wonder if one is affecting him, or if he has become possessed. And why are you here, you still haven’t told me?” 

"I do not know if it were anyone but your father I would not be. And you are right, I have known your father since I was a boy and he does not seem like himself. Whatever it is I am here to help both you and him." 

Her father returned, carrying a rolled-up map. "I have a task for the two of you. The digging season is over and I must turn over my finds to Marriette at the Egyptian Museum. I have, ah, made some discoveries that I am fearful may be apprehended on the way by some less than scrupulous individuals. Therefore I will be transporting the bulk of my discoveries by boat from Luxor while I wish for you and Ardeth Bey to transform the rest by camel.” 

“Surely, sir,” Ardeth interrupted, “You cannot be serious! To travel by camel from Luxor to Cairo will be a journey that may take weeks. I cannot allow you to put your daughter’s life at risk.” 

“What makes you think I could not do it, Ardeth? The hot weather is only beginning. I have lived here all my life, I know the ways of the desert.” 

“But you are not equipped to make such a journey. Do you know how to find the wells of the tribes? How to negotiate their use? Such a journey will take a long time and will be hard on you, trust me. Sir,” he addressed her father, “I am willing to take her by camel to Minya and catch the boat from there, but no further. My father has told me he can spare me right now, and if he moves the tribe I can find them on my own. These are my terms—I take her to Minya but no further, I am surprised you would even consider subjecting your daughter to this.” 

"Very well," said the professor with a sigh of resignation. He had clearly not anticipated the answer he received but recognized the wisdom of Ardeth's words. The digging season was drawing to a close and the finds were being packed up for transport to Cairo. Workers would have to be paid and transport to Luxor arranged. All the little details that went along with an archaeological expedition had to be faced and he was in a hurry to get them done. 

Busa came in with the houseboy, carrying fragrant dishes in metal containers that were set on the table. Ardeth's turban was tactfully removed to make room for the plate heaped high with flatbread. 

Roma served herself a generous portion of lamb seasoned with curry and allspice. "How could I ever go back to England?" she sighed, "I hate the food and it is so cold and rainy. It's not like we don't have cool weather here, but the rain comes with the monsoons, and then it's done." 

“And the heat has never fazed you, as I recall,” Ardeth laughed, wiping his beard with a napkin, “It always surprised me, sometimes I think you are more Egyptian than the Egyptians themselves.” 

After dinner, the houseboy cleared the table and the professor excused himself to go have a brandy and smoke a cigar. A decanter of whiskey and two glasses were set on the table then Roma waved away the servants. 

She poured herself a generous portion of whiskey then asked, "Would you care for some? I think the prophet would forgive you, especially after the surprise Papa gave us." 

Ardeth picked up a glass and the decanter, splashed some into the glass, drank it in one swallow, then poured himself another. He grinned, his smile saying, “Yes, I’ll have that drink.” 

"Ardeth," she began cautiously, "I am worried about my father, he is not himself. He knows how long the trip to Cairo would take by camel, and though I was foolish enough to think I'd attempt it, that's something he never would have suggested in the old days. Why can't he just bring everything at once, that's what we'd normally do? And I thought he'd be more pleased with the fact we have our concession for Deir El Medina for another year, but he just seemed indifferent." 

Ardeth lit two cigarettes and handed one to her. “What is it that you are not telling me? 

"He's been disappearing at night and not coming back until daylight, then he falls asleep and sometimes has nightmares. I can hear him moaning and crying in his sleep. I have had to handle the supervision of the dig this year and that is something I've never had to do before." 

“What is he doing at night that he cannot do by day?” 

“I think he’s been in the Valley of the Kings, looking for something. I’ve seen him trace the paths between Deir El Medina and the Valley, but he just brushed me off when I asked him what he was looking for.” She leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm, feeling the muscles beneath his sleeve. I think he’s found something, something he’s been looking for all season. What I don’t know, but I have an idea.” 

“What, what is it?” he asked, the urgency plain in his voice, “What do you think he’s found?” 

And slowly she told him the story of the tomb robbers caches and how her father suspected there was unknown treasure hidden in the valley. 

She was surprised to find Ardeth-Bey drinking tea with her father on the patio. He had removed his turban and set it carefully on the table letting the little evening breeze blow through his black curls. 

He saw her and smiled, “Salaam Alaikum,” he said, looking beautiful and golden as he always did. He had recently trimmed his beard, allowing her a better view of his full lips and white teeth. Why did the man have to be so damn good looking? She asked herself for the hundredth time. She remembered the tall skinny boy who taught her to ride bareback and how to avoid being burnt by the sun. It was the fondness she retained for the companion of her childhood that kept her from hating him but the boy had grown up so different from the man that he often tried her patience. 

“Salaam,” she replied and handed her father a manila envelope. “Here it is, your concession for next year. You’re lucky we spread baksheesh to the right hands, there’s a Swiss archaeologist named Bernard Bruyere who was looking to get it. Next year it may not be so easy.” 

"Oh, that wouldn't do, that wouldn't do at all," replied her father, but he only seemed to be half paying attention to her. He had been this way the past two weeks as if something was on his mind but he would not speak of it. He hadn't said anything to her about it, whatever it was, and it puzzled her. She and her father shared everything, they kept no secrets from each other, and now this. 

“We won’t be getting that concession for the Valley of the Kings, either. I heard that Carter cleared the corridor to the tomb he opened and found a sealed doorway at the end of it. He’s waiting for Marriette’s permission to open it, but I don’t think he’ll be patient enough to wait that long. Carnarvon is supposed to be coming for the official opening. If they find anything, if most of the tomb’s contents are intact it will take years to clear it.” 

“Why don’t you people just leave these things alone?” Ardeth asked, “Let whoever is in there rest in peace.” 

“Because if we don’t, the looters will, isn’t that right Father?” her father seemed to draw himself out of his reverie long enough to nod his assent, “What they don’t want they just destroy. The artifacts in tombs are worth a fortune on the black market. There are unscrupulous collectors out there who don’t care how an item is obtained. If we find something it will go to the Egyptian Museum, if a looter finds something it will be lost forever.” 

“Hmm,” Ardeth nodded his head, “Then I suppose you archaeologists see yourself as the lesser of two evils.” 

“Something like that,” she replied, for she did not disagree. It would be nice if artifacts could rest undisturbed in Egyptian soil, but for centuries none had. It was up to the archaeologists to win the race with the looters and preserve Egypt’s heritage for posterity. 

Her father rose and left the table, “I trust that now the two of you are adults you can be trusted to be left alone without fear that you will get into an argument and have to be separated.” He kissed the top of Roma’s head and disappeared into the house. 

She poured herself a cup of tea from the old brass samovar and asked, “Ardeth, you never come to Luxor except for business I am curious as to why you are here.” 

“Your father asked me to come,” he replied in his heavily accented but beautiful English, “I do not care to come to Luxor but his message sounded urgent so I came.” 

“Maybe it is a good thing that you came. I am worried about Father; I have never seen him like this before. He's usually concerned about the concession; he's spent years excavating the workers' village and I thought he'd go to Cairo but he had me take care of it. He hates Howard Carter, considers him an upstart, but Carter has made a major discovery and Father does not seem to care. That's not like him." 

"He seems to draw to someplace within himself and will stare at nothing for hours. I'm the one who's had to supervise the dig, oversee the workers, and make sure they are paid. This is so unlike him that I don't know what to think." 

“I know you do not believe in magic, but it sounds like your father has fallen a spell.” He drew a package of cigarettes from him robes, offered one to her then lit both with a lighter she had never seen before. 

“But from what? Most of the articles in the village were removed by Belzoni and Drovetti over a century ago. We’ve found a few things and a lot of ostracons with drawings, scribbles, or sometimes records. There was nothing sacred about that village, ever, it was built to house the workers building the tombs in a place where the guards could keep an eye on them. These aren’t tombs we’re excavating but peoples’ houses that were deserted when the Valley of the Kings fell out of use. What would there be that could possibly cast a spell on him?” 

"But isn't there a workers' cemetery nearby? People died and their bodies would have to be buried somewhere." 

She took a long draw on her cigarette, then exhaled. “Yes, there is, and some of the tomb paintings are quite lovely, almost the equal of the Pharaohs’ tombs, but I’ve been in many of them and have never seen any sign of a curse. That’s all nonsense if you ask me.” She was quiet for a moment, then chose her words carefully. 

“You know the stories your parents used to tell us, the djinns and monsters that have dwelt in this land before men learned to speak. And Father would tell us stories of the Pharaohs’ tombs and the curses they would write on the walls warning against disturbing the contents of their tombs, well how much good did that do? Every tomb in this valley that archaeologists discovered has been empty. Their bodies were thought to have been destroyed until they found the mummies caches and that’s only from the New Kingdom.” 

“Yet you are concerned that something is wrong with your father,” he pointed out. 

“Yes, I am, he is not himself and if I believed in curses I might wonder if one is affecting him, or if he has become possessed. And why are you here, you still haven’t told me?” 

"I do not know if it were anyone but your father I would not be. And you are right, I have known your father since I was a boy and he does not seem like himself. Whatever it is I am here to help both you and him." 

Her father returned, carrying a rolled-up map. "I have a task for the two of you. The digging season is over and I must turn over my finds to Marriette at the Egyptian Museum. I have, ah, made some discoveries that I am fearful may be apprehended on the way by some less than scrupulous individuals. Therefore I will be transporting the bulk of my discoveries by boat from Luxor while I wish for you and Ardeth Bey to transform the rest by camel.” 

“Surely, sir,” Ardeth interrupted, “You cannot be serious! To travel by camel from Luxor to Cairo will be a journey that may take weeks. I cannot allow you to put your daughter’s life at risk.” 

“What makes you think I could not do it, Ardeth? The hot weather is only beginning. I have lived here all my life, I know the ways of the desert.” 

“But you are not equipped to make such a journey. Do you know how to find the wells of the tribes? How to negotiate their use? Such a journey will take a long time and will be hard on you, trust me. Sir,” he addressed her father, “I am willing to take her by camel to Minya and catch the boat from there, but no further. My father has told me he can spare me right now, and if he moves the tribe I can find them on my own. These are my terms—I take her to Minya but no further, I am surprised you would even consider subjecting your daughter to this.” 

"Very well," said the professor with a sigh of resignation. He had clearly not anticipated the answer he received but recognized the wisdom of Ardeth's words. The digging season was drawing to a close and the finds were being packed up for transport to Cairo. Workers would have to be paid and transport to Luxor arranged. All the little details that went along with an archaeological expedition had to be faced and he was in a hurry to get them done. 

Busa came in with the houseboy, carrying fragrant dishes in metal containers that were set on the table. Ardeth's turban was tactfully removed to make room for the plate heaped high with flatbread. 

Roma served herself a generous portion of lamb seasoned with curry and allspice. "How could I ever go back to England?" she sighed, "I hate the food and it is so cold and rainy. It's not like we don't have cool weather here, but the rain comes with the monsoons, and then it's done." 

“And the heat has never fazed you, as I recall,” Ardeth laughed, wiping his beard with a napkin, “It always surprised me, sometimes I think you are more Egyptian than the Egyptians themselves.” 

After dinner, the houseboy cleared the table and the professor excused himself to go have a brandy and smoke a cigar. A decanter of whiskey and two glasses were set on the table then Roma waved away the servants. 

She poured herself a generous portion of whiskey then asked, "Would you care for some? I think the prophet would forgive you, especially after the surprise Papa gave us." 

Ardeth picked up a glass and the decanter, splashed some into the glass, drank it in one swallow, then poured himself another. He grinned, his smile saying, “Yes, I’ll have that drink.” 

"Ardeth," she began cautiously, "I am worried about my father, he is not himself. He knows how long the trip to Cairo would take by camel, and though I was foolish enough to think I'd attempt it, that's something he never would have suggested in the old days. Why can't he just bring everything at once, that's what we'd normally do? And I thought he'd be more pleased with the fact we have our concession for Deir El Medina for another year, but he just seemed indifferent." 

Ardeth lit two cigarettes and handed one to her. “What is it that you are not telling me? 

"He's been disappearing at night and not coming back until daylight, then he falls asleep and sometimes has nightmares. I can hear him moaning and crying in his sleep. I have had to handle the supervision of the dig this year and that is something I've never had to do before." 

“What is he doing at night that he cannot do by day?” 

“I think he’s been in the Valley of the Kings, looking for something. I’ve seen him trace the paths between Deir El Medina and the Valley, but he just brushed me off when I asked him what he was looking for.” She leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm, feeling the muscles beneath his sleeve. I think he’s found something, something he’s been looking for all season. What I don’t know, but I have an idea.” 

“What, what is it?” he asked, the urgency plain in his voice, “What do you think he’s found?” 

And slowly she told him the story of the tomb robbers caches and how her father suspected there was unknown treasure hidden in the valley. 

She was surprised to find Ardeth-Bey drinking tea with her father on the patio. He had removed his turban and set it carefully on the table letting the little evening breeze blow through his black curls. 

He saw her and smiled, “Salaam Alaikum,” he said, looking beautiful and golden as he always did. He had recently trimmed his beard, allowing her a better view of his full lips and white teeth. Why did the man have to be so damn good looking? She asked herself for the hundredth time. She remembered the tall skinny boy who taught her to ride bareback and how to avoid being burnt by the sun. It was the fondness she retained for the companion of her childhood that kept her from hating him but the boy had grown up so different from the man that he often tried her patience. 

“Salaam,” she replied and handed her father a manila envelope. “Here it is, your concession for next year. You’re lucky we spread baksheesh to the right hands, there’s a Swiss archaeologist named Bernard Bruyere who was looking to get it. Next year it may not be so easy.” 

"Oh, that wouldn't do, that wouldn't do at all," replied her father, but he only seemed to be half paying attention to her. He had been this way the past two weeks as if something was on his mind but he would not speak of it. He hadn't said anything to her about it, whatever it was, and it puzzled her. She and her father shared everything, they kept no secrets from each other, and now this. 

“We won’t be getting that concession for the Valley of the Kings, either. I heard that Carter cleared the corridor to the tomb he opened and found a sealed doorway at the end of it. He’s waiting for Marriette’s permission to open it, but I don’t think he’ll be patient enough to wait that long. Carnarvon is supposed to be coming for the official opening. If they find anything, if most of the tomb’s contents are intact it will take years to clear it.” 

“Why don’t you people just leave these things alone?” Ardeth asked, “Let whoever is in there rest in peace.” 

“Because if we don’t, the looters will, isn’t that right Father?” her father seemed to draw himself out of his reverie long enough to nod his assent, “What they don’t want they just destroy. The artifacts in tombs are worth a fortune on the black market. There are unscrupulous collectors out there who don’t care how an item is obtained. If we find something it will go to the Egyptian Museum, if a looter finds something it will be lost forever.” 

“Hmm,” Ardeth nodded his head, “Then I suppose you archaeologists see yourself as the lesser of two evils.” 

“Something like that,” she replied, for she did not disagree. It would be nice if artifacts could rest undisturbed in Egyptian soil, but for centuries none had. It was up to the archaeologists to win the race with the looters and preserve Egypt’s heritage for posterity. 

Her father rose and left the table, “I trust that now the two of you are adults you can be trusted to be left alone without fear that you will get into an argument and have to be separated.” He kissed the top of Roma’s head and disappeared into the house. 

She poured herself a cup of tea from the old brass samovar and asked, “Ardeth, you never come to Luxor except for business I am curious as to why you are here.” 

“Your father asked me to come,” he replied in his heavily accented but beautiful English, “I do not care to come to Luxor but his message sounded urgent so I came.” 

“Maybe it is a good thing that you came. I am worried about Father; I have never seen him like this before. He's usually concerned about the concession; he's spent years excavating the workers' village and I thought he'd go to Cairo but he had me take care of it. He hates Howard Carter, considers him an upstart, but Carter has made a major discovery and Father does not seem to care. That's not like him." 

"He seems to draw to someplace within himself and will stare at nothing for hours. I'm the one who's had to supervise the dig, oversee the workers, and make sure they are paid. This is so unlike him that I don't know what to think." 

“I know you do not believe in magic, but it sounds like your father has fallen a spell.” He drew a package of cigarettes from him robes, offered one to her then lit both with a lighter she had never seen before. 

“But from what? Most of the articles in the village were removed by Belzoni and Drovetti over a century ago. We’ve found a few things and a lot of ostracons with drawings, scribbles, or sometimes records. There was nothing sacred about that village, ever, it was built to house the workers building the tombs in a place where the guards could keep an eye on them. These aren’t tombs we’re excavating but peoples’ houses that were deserted when the Valley of the Kings fell out of use. What would there be that could possibly cast a spell on him?” 

"But isn't there a workers' cemetery nearby? People died and their bodies would have to be buried somewhere." 

She took a long draw on her cigarette, then exhaled. “Yes, there is, and some of the tomb paintings are quite lovely, almost the equal of the Pharaohs’ tombs, but I’ve been in many of them and have never seen any sign of a curse. That’s all nonsense if you ask me.” She was quiet for a moment, then chose her words carefully. 

“You know the stories your parents used to tell us, the djinns and monsters that have dwelt in this land before men learned to speak. And Father would tell us stories of the Pharaohs’ tombs and the curses they would write on the walls warning against disturbing the contents of their tombs, well how much good did that do? Every tomb in this valley that archaeologists discovered has been empty. Their bodies were thought to have been destroyed until they found the mummies caches and that’s only from the New Kingdom.” 

“Yet you are concerned that something is wrong with your father,” he pointed out. 

“Yes, I am, he is not himself and if I believed in curses I might wonder if one is affecting him, or if he has become possessed. And why are you here, you still haven’t told me?” 

"I do not know if it were anyone but your father I would not be. And you are right, I have known your father since I was a boy and he does not seem like himself. Whatever it is I am here to help both you and him." 

Her father returned, carrying a rolled-up map. "I have a task for the two of you. The digging season is over and I must turn over my finds to Marriette at the Egyptian Museum. I have, ah, made some discoveries that I am fearful may be apprehended on the way by some less than scrupulous individuals. Therefore I will be transporting the bulk of my discoveries by boat from Luxor while I wish for you and Ardeth Bey to transform the rest by camel.” 

“Surely, sir,” Ardeth interrupted, “You cannot be serious! To travel by camel from Luxor to Cairo will be a journey that may take weeks. I cannot allow you to put your daughter’s life at risk.” 

“What makes you think I could not do it, Ardeth? The hot weather is only beginning. I have lived here all my life, I know the ways of the desert.” 

“But you are not equipped to make such a journey. Do you know how to find the wells of the tribes? How to negotiate their use? Such a journey will take a long time and will be hard on you, trust me. Sir,” he addressed her father, “I am willing to take her by camel to Minya and catch the boat from there, but no further. My father has told me he can spare me right now, and if he moves the tribe I can find them on my own. These are my terms—I take her to Minya but no further, I am surprised you would even consider subjecting your daughter to this.” 

"Very well," said the professor with a sigh of resignation. He had clearly not anticipated the answer he received but recognized the wisdom of Ardeth's words. The digging season was drawing to a close and the finds were being packed up for transport to Cairo. Workers would have to be paid and transport to Luxor arranged. All the little details that went along with an archaeological expedition had to be faced and he was in a hurry to get them done. 

Busa came in with the houseboy, carrying fragrant dishes in metal containers that were set on the table. Ardeth's turban was tactfully removed to make room for the plate heaped high with flatbread. 

Roma served herself a generous portion of lamb seasoned with curry and allspice. "How could I ever go back to England?" she sighed, "I hate the food and it is so cold and rainy. It's not like we don't have cool weather here, but the rain comes with the monsoons, and then it's done." 

“And the heat has never fazed you, as I recall,” Ardeth laughed, wiping his beard with a napkin, “It always surprised me, sometimes I think you are more Egyptian than the Egyptians themselves.” 

After dinner, the houseboy cleared the table and the professor excused himself to go have a brandy and smoke a cigar. A decanter of whiskey and two glasses were set on the table then Roma waved away the servants. 

She poured herself a generous portion of whiskey then asked, "Would you care for some? I think the prophet would forgive you, especially after the surprise Papa gave us." 

Ardeth picked up a glass and the decanter, splashed some into the glass, drank it in one swallow, then poured himself another. He grinned, his smile saying, “Yes, I’ll have that drink.” 

"Ardeth," she began cautiously, "I am worried about my father, he is not himself. He knows how long the trip to Cairo would take by camel, and though I was foolish enough to think I'd attempt it, that's something he never would have suggested in the old days. Why can't he just bring everything at once, that's what we'd normally do? And I thought he'd be more pleased with the fact we have our concession for Deir El Medina for another year, but he just seemed indifferent." 

Ardeth lit two cigarettes and handed one to her. “What is it that you are not telling me? 

"He's been disappearing at night and not coming back until daylight, then he falls asleep and sometimes has nightmares. I can hear him moaning and crying in his sleep. I have had to handle the supervision of the dig this year and that is something I've never had to do before." 

“What is he doing at night that he cannot do by day?” 

“I think he’s been in the Valley of the Kings, looking for something. I’ve seen him trace the paths between Deir El Medina and the Valley, but he just brushed me off when I asked him what he was looking for.” She leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm, feeling the muscles beneath his sleeve. I think he’s found something, something he’s been looking for all season. What I don’t know, but I have an idea.” 

“What, what is it?” he asked, the urgency plain in his voice, “What do you think he’s found?” 

And slowly she told him the story of the tomb robbers caches and how her father suspected there was unknown treasure hidden in the valley.


	3. White Skies of the Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Wilkes-Emberly hs seemingly come back to his senses, but to his daughter he seems almost too normal. Ardeth tries to assure his father that he and Roma will be all right making their journey. Roma sees the white sky of a hot desert afternoon and starts to feel forebodings

Early the next morning, she found Ardeth-Bey sitting at the table eating breakfast. When she sat down, he poured her a cup of coffee and pushed the basket of flatbread towards her. 

“Eat,” he commanded and took another strip of lamp from a platter and took a bite. She shook her head, having no desire for anything but coffee. 

He looked at her, studying her, “I saw your father this morning carrying a strong box. I told him ‘good morning’ but either he did not hear me or he did not know I was here.” 

“You mean he seemed preoccupied, don’t you? I told him good night and he acted as if I wasn’t even there. Today’s the day we pay the workers, I wonder if he carried their wages?” She paused, then said, “I am going to call the bank and ask if he made the withdrawal, if not, I must do it for the workers must be paid.” 

“I think that is wise,” he said as she got up from the table, “I am afraid your father is not himself.” 

She dialed the number of their bank and Luxor and asked if the month’s withdrawal had been made. “I see,” she said, “I will be in there shortly and do it myself. My father has obvously forgotten.” She hung up the phone then put her hands over her eyes as she began to cry. 

He left his seat and put his arm around her waist. “I am sorry this is happening,” he said, “I want you to know I will do everything I can to help.” 

“I have to go to the bank and get the money. I cannot believe Father did this to his workers. I must make sure that things are packed up and ready to be delivered to the museum. The tents must be taken down and the equipment readied for storage until the next season. And I must see if Father is sincere regarding this mad scheme to transport part of the artifacts by camel, if it is true he must have taken leave of his senses.” 

“I will meet you at the site and try to find out from the workers what is going on.” Ardeth tried to soothe her, “They may be willing to tell me things they would not say to you for one reason or another. If we are truly meant follow through with this madness, I will find us some good camels and supplies. The first half of the journey we will be mostly on our own, there are several small towns after that where we can acquire what we need. Please do not worry, it will be all right.” 

She allowed herself a quick bath, then dressed and drove the truck she kept in Luxor to the bank. She was half afraid that her father may have withdrawn their funds—for whatever reason she did not know—but the account contained not only the workers’ wages, but the bonuses they handed out at the end of every season. 

She took a felucca to the opposite bank and allowed on of the camel drivers to escort her to Deir El Medina. For a small fee, and food and drink, he was willing to wait for her and escort her back to the landing where she would return to Luxor. 

Her father had returned to Deir El Medina and seemed his old self, slightly surprised that he had forgotten the workmen’s wages, but laughing it off, saying he must be going soft in the head. And of course, he knew that if he had forgotten, he could depend on her to remember for him. 

This disturbed her but she said nothing. She supervised the final packing, the load she would take with Ardeth remaining in a small supply tent. She paid the workers, making sure that each received his bonus, and asked them if they would be willing to come back the next digging season. Though some seemed apprehensive, most were more than eager for the professor would pay them better than any other archaeologist. Carter-Bey provided work but his wages were stingy, they would rather work for the professor. 

Ardeth-Bey rode up, leading for sturdy and well-fed camels. “We can load them up today and I will leave them with my father overnight. He is willing to tarry for one day, but the valley is barren and the herds need to be fed. You must be ready to leave tomorrow morning—I will come and fetch you. He is also willing to supply us with enough food to make it through the desert. We can fill the waterskins and hopefully they will supply us with enough water.” 

“Tell your father ‘thank you’, or better still, I will tell him myself tomorrow. That is very kind of him.” 

“He is worried, he feels that this is not good. He admires your father and wonders why he does this. He is sending word out to the tribes to let them know we are coming. If any Bedouin are in the area they will be on the lookout for us.” 

“Ardeth, is it true that your people claim they are descended from the Medjay?’ 

He laughed, breaking the tension, “There are some who like to tell that story. If so that would make us rather ruthless and cruel, don’t you think? After all, we guarded the village to keep the inhabitants from stealing from the pharaoh’s grave goods. No, and you should know this, we are more Arab than Egyptian now, with maybe a little Turkish and Greek thrown in. If we were the Medjay, it was a very long time ago.” 

She did not sleep well that night. Nightmares haunted her sleep with images of the old Egyptian gods, long-dead pharaohs, and monsters. Taking a bath helped refresh her, somewhat, and it would be the last she’d have for a while she reminded herself. 

She was finishing her breakfast when Busa led Ardeth into the room. 

“Did you eat well?” he asked, “I want to cover as many miles as we can before the weather gets too hot.” He peered closely at her, “You did not sleep well?” 

“No, I did not,” she would not tell him why, “But it is probably only nerves about this trip. We probably should have left last night while the air was still cool. I will sleep after we stop—if not, please make sure I do not fall off my camel.” 

Some of the Medjay—how funny it was that they named themselves after the guards of the Valley—were waiting for them at the site of her father’s camp. Her father was supervising the loading of the pack camels they would use, his truck had been loaded the night before. 

She could hear Ardeth and his father arguing about the folly of the trip to Minya through the desert, she was surprised to hear Ardeth defending it. The necessity of protecting her was the priority, he told his father, it was only the first part that would be hazardous, but he had heard that there might be Bedouin roaming in area so if they needed trouble there would be help. 

Sandstorm season was a month away, Ardeth argued, their route would follow the Nile and if one did occur there were caves and old tombs in the cliffs that they could take refuge in. The camels could be brought in, too, so their would be no danger of losing them. 

She agreed with Ardeth’s father, this trip was folly. Something must have possessed her father for had he been in his right mind he never would have suggested it. 

He came over to her and hugged her, “Be careful daughter, don’t let the camels out of your sight. I am sure that Ardeth Bey will protect you. I will see you when you arrive in Cairo.” He kissed the top of her blond head and went to his car. 

“How is he?” he asked her. 

“I don’t know,” she replied, “He is acting too normal and it bothers me. For once I am eager to leave the village. Let us travel as far as we can in the heat, then make the camp—I could certainly use some sleep.” 

“Well, the camels are packed and loaded with supplies. The goatskin tent I brought will be easy for two people to assemble and give us some progection from the heat during the day. My father brought along a generous supply of food, some dried lamb and dates, along with lots of bread that we must eat before it grows stale or moldy. The water skins are full and placed where we will have easy access. Is there anything else you need?” 

“I was hoping to make one last trip to the village before we left but there is no time. Let us leave, Ardeth, if I linger too long here I will lose my courage.” 

The pack camels were tied to their saddles. Roma had long ago learned how to make the camel kneel so she could mount, and had learned how to ride them like a Bedouin. She would have preferred taking horses, but these “ships of the desert” were better suited to their needs and she had long ago learned to tolerate their cantankerous natures. 

The sun had already started its ascent into the clear blue sky of the desert. The day would grow from hot to unbearable hot in a few hours. She cursed herself for making such a slow start, hoping that they could at least make their way past the valleys of the kings and queens before they halted. 

The relentless sun was growing hotter and even Ardeth, son of the desert that he was, decided he wished to go no further. “There is not much to shelter us here,” he said apologetically, “But let us pitch the tent and try to get some sleep through the hottest part of the day. When the sun starts to go down it will start to cool a little.” 

She would have objected, she felt as if eyes were watching her back but she was tired from lack of sleep and needed to rest. They pitched the tent, a curious affair of black goatskin and a little awning to provide shelter for cooking and allowed the camels a bit of shade. 

Though it was hot, she collapsed on her cot without the precaution of drinking water first and woke with a terrible thirst. She got up, careful not to wake Ardeth, and found of of the waterskins and drank deeply. 

It was so hot now that the sky seemed to have lost its blue color and turned a ghostly white. She was familiar with this phenomenon having spent a good deal of time in the desert herself, but it never failed to catch her off guard. Now it seemed like an evil omen to her, like a sign that nothing good would come of what she was trying to do. The desert would win and she would lose and whatever it was that the baggage hid on the camel, the evil it carried would doom her. 

“What are you doing?” asked Ardeth and she held up the waterskin, “I was thirsty, I forgot to drink before I lay down on the cot.” 

“That was my fault,” he took the container from her and replaced it on the camel, “I should have made sure that you did. Come inside and rest, it will be some time before set out for the evening.” 

She didn’t move but stared at the ghostly white sky, “Do you something is going to happen to us, something bad, I mean?” 

“Of course not, why are you letting your imagination run away with you? I could hide you safely in the desert for weeks and no one would find you and that is what I will do if I have to. Come inside and rest, you are anxious for your father, that is all.” 

She lay down once more and went back to sleep, a deep sleep empty of dreams. She did not see Ardeth watching her, not falling asleep himself until he was sure she was all right.


	4. The Sandstorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roma is not prone to nightmares but she has started to have them. A sandstorm is forming and they are forced to take shelter in what first seemed a cave, but now appears to be a man-made structure.

She woke to the smell of meat cooking and the savory odor made her mouth water. She rose from her cot and ran her fingers through her short blond curls. 

Ardeth was sitting under the awning, roasting a small hare. He looked up at her and smiled. “Have some dates,” he said, “This hare should be done soon. I’ve made some tea but we don’t have any sugar, do you mind?” 

“No, I don’t mind. But how...?” 

“Have you forgotten what my father taught you? The desert is alive and now is the time when animals come out of their burrows to hunt and find food. I used my sling to kill the hare and found a dead tree and broke off the branches for firewood. I brought along some charcoal to use for cooking if we got the chance. The tea I made with the alcohol stove you brought along.” If his smile was a little smug, she knew he was showing off and didn’t mind too much. 

“You’re hired. I’m going to get some tea; dates are too sweet; I need something to wash them down with.” 

The hare was crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Along with the dates, tea, and flatbread they had a good meal and were ready to travel. Ardeth checked to make sure the lead lines were secure for the pack camels then they mounted their own and began the night’s journey. 

It was still hot but had cooled down, a small breeze ruffled her curls cooling off the back of her neck. Ardeth was wearing his turban—how did he manage to stay cool in his robes? She had grown up in Egypt but at times the heat could have a detrimental effect on her. It had been hot in Deir El Medina but it was not like this, not like the miles of sand that stretched before them. 

Limestone cliffs lined the river in places and the heat seemed to reflect off them. In some places, they were dotted with caves, and some tombs had been carved in them. She would like a chance to explore this place but not now. 

Ardeth was trying to keep her mind occupied so she would not think of the burden they were carrying. He was pointing out Orion--the stars that made up the belt aligned exactly with the three pyramids of Giza. 

“I knew that,” she said irritably but tried to adopt a more conciliatory tone, “I always like the story of the goddess that gave birth to the sun every morning, how it was symbolic of the daily rebirth of the pharaoh. My favorite tomb decoration was always Nut the sky goddess surrounded by stars. How they painted the ceilings in the tombs has always amazed me.” 

“Well, look up and you can see that same sky.” She did as he said and saw a myriad of stars, and the Milky Way overhead and it made her gasp in wonder. 

“This is more beautiful than Deir El Medina,” she said as she gazed at the sight surrounding her. I used to love to look out at the stars, the sky was more beautiful than Cairo or even Luxor.” 

They continued to ride, not saying anything or needing to, until he broke the silence, saying, “Who is that archaeologist who is opening a tomb in the Valley?” 

“Howard Carter? When I was in town, I heard that Mariette had come from Cairo to supervise the opening. Carter is an arrogant bastard, I’m sure he’s going to give Mariette the least amount of cooperation that he can. Why do you ask?” 

“Maybe what he is doing is not such a good thing, maybe there are things in there that should not see the light of day.” 

"I understand, but better the archaeologists than the looters. I don't believe in curses, remember? And I would give anything to see the contents of that tomb. There are years of conservation ahead if the tomb contains most of its contents before they can be put in the Egyptian museum. I don't see how there is a curse, this is a gift that will enable us to finally see what a pharaoh's tomb looked like. If it's not empty that is." 

“Are you curious about what we might be carrying for your father?” 

“No, I mean yes, I mean I don’t know—I'm afraid to know. Do I believe we are carrying something that might be evil, or have evil attached—maybe, but I would prefer to not know. I just want to get this stuff to Cairo and be rid of it. If he is doing something illegal, which I am afraid he is, he has made me an accessory and I don’t like it. Can we please not talk about it anymore. Talking about curses during the day is one thing, but at night it frightens me.” 

The rode until the night gave way to the colors of the desert dawn. The sky was tinted pink and gold when Ardeth called a halt. 

"Why must we stop now?" she complained, "I want to get to Minya as quickly as I can and catch the boat to Cairo. It will be cool for an hour or more." 

“All the more reason to stop,” he replied, “I know you have worked in the heat of Deir El Medina, but you are not accustomed to the ways of the Sahara. It is best to stop now while it is still cool, we can eat and then get to sleep before the hottest part of the day begins. I wish there were some ruins we could take shelter in, but there aren’t any.” He raised his hand as she started to object, “Please listen to me, Roma, you will find out that I am right.” 

She dismounted from her camel, grumbling, but helped him set up the tent and hobble the camels. He brewed some of his strong tea and they made breakfast on flatbread and dates. It was too early for either to be very hungry, they would have their main meal when they woke. 

Perhaps it was the heat that gave her the dream. She found herself in Deir El Medina with her father, looking for caches that the tomb robbers had left behind. She was about to lift a rock where she had caught a glimpse of gold underneath when it was no longer her father by her side, but a man with a lion's head and claws. She began to run for her life because she knew if the lion-man caught her it would kill her and devour her. 

Just as soon as she felt the hot breath on the back of her neck she woke, shaking violently. She put her hand over her heart to try to stop its rapid beating, taking deep breaths she tried to clear her head. 

It was no use trying to go back to sleep, she decided, at least not for now. She looked over to where Ardeth lay sleeping, why had he not wakened? The only thing she could think of was that she had to get out of the tent, the air was too close inside its dark interior. 

Carefully she raised the tent flap and stepped outside, the hot sands burning her bare feet. She looked around, looking for what she did not know. There were only the hobbled camels trying to get what shelter they could from the tent’s awning. 

“What are you doing?” she heard Ardeth’s voice behind her, “You need to come back into the tent.” 

“Not yet,” she replied, “I can’t,” she finished lamely. 

“Did you have another nightmare?” he asked and she nodded, “How often does this happen?” 

“I need a cigarette,” she told him, “And to answer your question, I never have them. It’s like all my fears about Father are manifesting in my dreams. I don’t care how tired I get tonight; I can’t bear to go back to sleep.” 

He sighed, clearly not happy but understanding. “I am sorry this is happening to you. Let us sit for a while and maybe you can calm yourself enough to go back to sleep. It’s too early for us to start, sunset is still some hours away. Maybe when we get to Cairo all of this will stop and you will be your old self again.” 

He sat with her, patient and understanding, for almost an hour then insisted she try to sleep again. 

The heat was affecting her and sleep proved elusive. The best she could manage was to lie on her cot and just rest. Eventually, sleep returned and this time she had no dreams, just blessed unconsciousness. 

She did not wake easily as she had the previous morning. Ardeth was shaking her, saying, “Come now, wake up, you were so eager to on your way yet you do not want to get up. Breakfast is ready and we must get going soon.” 

“Can’t we wait a day?” she moaned although she already knew the answer. “I am so tired.” 

“Drink some tea and eat. You will feel better once we get going.” 

After their meal, she helped take down the tent and pack the camels. He offered to do it himself but the tent required two people to take it down and put it up. They packed it on one of the pack camels, along with the waterskin. 

He checked the amount of water in the bag they were using. "Are you drinking enough? I thought we should have used more." 

“I fill my canteen every day and drink what I put in it. I know how much water I need to drink. I do not dare become dehydrated, that would be dangerous. I do not know the Sahara, but I know how to live in hot weather.” 

It seemed to start innocently enough. A light breeze started blowing, gently ruffling the surface of the sand. Then the wind picked up speed and the expression on Ardeth’s face told her that something was wrong. 

“Sandstorm, a sandstorm is coming. We must head to the cliffs and find a cave to shelter in if we can, or at least an outcropping we can hide behind.” 

“I thought sandstorm season was at least a month off!” 

“You can tell that to the winds that will be blowing the sand. Come, if we hurry, we will not get caught in it.” 

The pack camels could only go so quickly, but even they seemed to sense the urgency of their situation. Fortunately, the limestone cliffs were closer than they seemed and they time to search for an opening large enough to admit them and their camels. 

“Look, Ardeth,” she pointed to a large opening that loomed just ahead of them, “Is that a cave or just a place in the cliff that has worn away?” 

"It looks like it could be a cave, and a good-sized one that will fit us and the camels, come on." She followed as he hurried towards it. 

There was indeed a large opening in the face of the cliff, but something made her pull back when she saw it. 

He turned around and looked at her, “What is wrong with you, we need to take shelter now.” 

“This is not cave,” she said, “Look, can you not see it, this stone was worked. This is man-made, it was not carved by water, wind, or erosion." 

“It does not matter,” he said, “The opening is wide enough for us and the camels, we must go in, now.” He lit a lantern and entered their shelter. 

She followed him in with great reluctance. As she had suspected, this was no accident of nature. They followed down a large corridor of stone which bore the marks of many chisels. Whoever had carved it had intended to create a large passageway, but for what? 

The corridor ended in a large chamber. She took her electric torch from her saddlebag and shone it around the walls, then cast the light down so she could see what was on the floor. 

“Oh my god,” she said, “What is this place?”


	5. The Tomb in the Cliffs--re-write

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While escaping a sandstorm, Ardeth and Roma realize that they've stumbled onto a tomb, but a strange one. There is no wall paintings for hieroglyphics of any kind to indicate who it belongs to. It has been robbed in antiquity and only a few ushabtis and chips of precious stones remain

I have done a re-write of this chapter. I kept the essence of what I wrote but tried to improve it. Hope this is better. 

"What is this place?" Roma ran the beam from her electric torch along the walls of the chamber while Ardeth followed with his lantern. "Look," she said as she flashed the torch overhead, "The ceiling hasn't been worked but the walls are smooth and carved. It's rough just like the walls of the corridor. I see the gods of the underworld, Horus, Osiris, Isis, Hathor, carved into the walls along with an image of the weighing of the heart, but where are the hieroglyphs? 

She pointed the torch as the floor, revealing a shiny stone sarcophagus without its lid. "That's basalt, it's very hard to carve and polish but look at it! It's plain, though, not a carving in sight! And what happened to its lid?" 

She walked over to the plain stone coffin and peered inside, "Nothing on the inside, either, no traces of gold leaf." She sat back on her legs, thinking, running her hand through the sand at its base. 

"Look!" she commanded and he came over to her side. She held up three beads carved of lapis lazuli. "Someone was here, this tomb was raided at least once, but what self-respecting Egyptian would bury themself in a tomb without their name or spells painted on the walls from the Book of the Dead? They used them to guide them on their journey through the Underworld. And why did he, and I think it was a he, choose to be buried so far from the Valley of the Kings? He should have been buried where the other nobles had their tombs." 

She went over to a wall with a carving of what might have been the owner and his wife. "Look, this isn't bas-relief, this was carved directly into the wall. They carved the corridor and the chamber but only half-finished it. She crossed to the other side, "And here's two boys, these may have been his sons, but why no hieroglyphs? Egyptians wanted their names to be spoken to assure that they would have a place in the afterlife." 

"There should be pictures of him harvesting grain, maybe hunting ducks, and one of Anubis attending his mummy, but there's nothing. This was most certainly a noble, but he was buried away from the others in the middle of this godforsaken place, no temple for funerary offerings or priests to say prayers for him. The sarcophagus is exquisite---even though it is plain there was a lot of work put into it. I wonder if there are any ushabtis here with his name on them?" 

Outside they could hear the howling of the wind as it blew clouds of sand about, but inside the chamber they were safe. Roma ventured as far down the corridor as she dared until the sands started reaching her and she retreated into the tomb. 

"How long do you think the storm will last, Ardeth? I want to get out of here, something is feeling very wrong. This is not a good place." 

"Usually about half an hour, but no two storms are alike. Remember the story of the Persian soldiers that were buried alive by a sandstorm? We should stay here until we are ready to leave for the night. You need to get some sleep, do not tell me that you don't, you are half dead on your feet. Enjoy the chance to rest someplace cool. 

And it was cool in the tomb if tomb, refreshingly so, but she was not convinced. "I don't think he wants us here; we should leave." 

"He? Who is he? If this tomb was ever used it was abandoned long ago. What have you found besides a few beads? We'll leave tomorrow evening, so rest and take it easy. Explore this place if you must, I know you want to. The spirit of the occupant no doubt disappeared with his grave goods and his mummy." 

In the end, she found it hard to resist his logic. He removed the cots from the pack camel and set them up, and but when she laid down, she found it hard to keep her eyes closed. She was tired to the point of exhaustion, yet sleep eluded her. Her mind and body had begun to accustom itself to sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. Fatigue might yet overcome her, but she was not ready to give into sleep, not yet. 

She waited until Ardeth's breathing became steady, then picked up her torch and began to explore the chamber further. The carvings on the wall were of such exquisite quality that the occupant must have been a member of the nobility or a minor member of the royal family. She ran her finger along the wall, kneeling at its base feeling for chips of painted plaster, but found none. A tomb this elaborate would surely have been painted but she found no sign. 

She found a frieze of baboons that represented the hours, but none of the hieroglyphs that should have accompanied them. How curious, she thought, this place is devoid of writing, and all the sacred spells that should be on the walls are missing. It's as if the person who rested in this place demanded complete anonymity and was willing to risk not naming his name. Or the Pharaoh issued orders that there should be none. 

She walked around slowly, keeping to the wall, shining her light downwards, looking for indications that enough sand was present that could provide a shield for hidden artifacts. 

She stumbled upon one when her bootlace came undone and she tripped. A glint of blue showed sticking out of the sand and she dug eagerly, mindless of the fact insects might be hiding, and discovered a blue faience ushabti. 

Eagerly she brushed the sand from its surface and saw that it had the face of a man. She showed the torch on it, hoping that she might, at last, find a name, but all she saw, written in gilt letters now badly faded, was, "I am the servant of he who dwells in this tomb." She repressed an urge to throw it against the wall but slipped it instead into her pocket. 

She dug around and found only two more. She returned to the sarcophagus and dug in the sand around its base finding some beads of turquoise, amethyst, and carnelian. Whoever had robbed this tomb had done a very thorough job, almost nothing had been left behind. The coffin had probably been gilded wood inlaid with semi-precious gems such as the ones she had found. The mask could have been cartonnage, gilded, and painted with an idealized face of the owner. 

The tiny bits of gems went into her pocket with the ushabtis. From the size of the tomb it might have held many treasures if the owner had been wealthy, but why oh why were there no signs of writing anywhere? 

"You are supposed to be sleeping," Ardeth's tall body loomed over her, but she paid no attention. 

"I couldn’t See what I found, look." She drew the ushabtis from her pocket and showed him the handful of gems. "Whoever was here must have been wealthy, a noble or a member of the royal family, maybe. This must have been a rich burial, but I cannot understand why there are no names or hieroglyphs." 

He looked briefly at her finds and nodded and she returned them to her pocket. What he did next took her by surprise. "What am I going to have to do to make sure you do as you're told?" The look of affection, visible even in the darkness, took her by surprise, then he took her in his arms and kissed her. 

She had not expected this, nor ever dreamed of it, let alone the fact that she would kiss him back—and Ardeth knew how to kiss. 

What am I doing? She would have thought in other circumstances but all she could think of was how it felt to be in his arms, how right she seemed to feel there. And she didn’t want him to let her go. 

She thought of something her father had said after she and Ardeth has yet another fight. “The two of you fight like brother and sister, or like a married couple.” She had denied any such thing but he looked at her and smiled. 

Was it possible that there had been an affection percolating between them that neither would admit? She felt confused, a feeling that always made her uncomfortable. 

“Ardeth,” she said tenuously, but he laid his fingers on her lips. “I have been waiting to do that for a very long time,” he said, “I did not wish to frighten you.” She could see him smiling even in the darkness of the faint light of her torch. 

“You didn’t, but you took me by surprise. Maybe father was right,” she said dreamily, “He used to tell me that you and I fought like we were a married couple.” 

He threw his head back and laughed, then walked over to the cots, and put them side by side. 

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked. 

"I am going to make sure you do not get up again. If I have to, I will bind your hands and feet so that you cannot move. Come and lay down, I want you to sleep and be rested when we set out again. The storm is over but it is cool in here so I wish to take advantage of it. It will cost us time, but you will be better rested if we remain here until tonight." 

She could not sleep for a long time, the memory of him kissing her would not leave her mind. She was surprised but not surprised, she had known him for most of her life and Ardeth never hesitated to be direct. It was her feelings that she feared the most, but with Ardeth next to her she felt protected, and safe. 

Having him so close felt comforting, she could reach out and touch him if she wished. She had never imagined that she could have feeling like this for him, but his kiss had awakened her to a feeling she knew had only been waiting to emerge. 

But could he protect her from whatever might be living in this tomb? 

Footnote: 

Lately, I have wanted to re-create a book that I found in two of my school libraries but is beyond my capability. Alas, the book is now out of print and it's too bad, it was a great intro to archaeology in the form of a novel, complete with color plates.


	6. The Funeral in the Dark of the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roma has a vision of what might have taken place in the tomb where there are resting for the night. The next evening, as they set out, she forms a plan and has a shock when she carries it out

They lay on their cots, side by side, gazing into the other's eyes, hands tightly clasped and leaning over to kiss and then kiss again. 

"Go to sleep," Ardeth kissed her one last time then turned over. Soon his breathing was slow and even, leaving her free to think. 

I wonder what this meant, she thought, if it meant anything. It cannot, can it? He doesn't fit into my world and I do not fit into his, yet we have had an affection for each other all our lives. We are two adults, free to do what we want—I could have refused him, but I did not want to. Where do we belong, anyway, where does this belong? 

"In the desert," came a voice in her head, startling her. She looked around, wondering where the voice had come from, but afraid to know the answer. She could not deny that the words were probably true. 

She rolled over on her side, resting her head on her arm. Fatigue washed over her and when she drifted off to sleep, she did not even realize that she had closed her eyes. 

She was gazing out into a night sky full of stars more ancient than time itself. As she watched a strange sight came into view, a crowd of people moving steadily, almost rhythmically, proceeding in the dead of night, but to where? This is strange, she thought, Egyptians feared the darkness, what are they doing? 

The light of torches reflected off shiny metal helmets and spear tips. Oxen with gilded horns tied with ribbons pulled a great sledge on which rested a shiny golden coffin. A parade of women mourners followed, their black hair greyed with ashes and beating their bared breasts as they wailed. 

They headed to the doorway of the hollowed-out chamber which still had fresh chips of limestone laying around its entrance. A high priest stood at the head of the procession, he wore a linen kilt with a leopard skin tied around his waist, his shaven head seeming to reflect the light of the torches. He entered first, saying something she could not understand, no one had ever heard ancient Egyptian being spoken. 

As priests swung censors of burning incense around the sarcophagus four men brought in the coffin and slowly lowered it in. Unguents heavy with the scent of cedar were poured over the coffin and wreaths were laid carefully on top of it. 

The priest seemed to bark an order and a group of slaves wrestled the sarcophagus lid into place. Grave goods, some glittering with gold, were brought in and placed in the tomb for the use of the deceased in the afterlife. Slowly the procession filed out and guards stood by as the last of the possessions were placed in the tomb. 

Then, suddenly, darkness. She heard the rattle of lime chips and rubble being used to fill the corridor. The doorway was sealed with mud and inscribed with the seal of the three jackals that guarded the dead. 

She opened her eyes and sat up, seeing nothing but the darkness of the cave. The cool air now seemed cold as she felt a frisson of cold air sweep down her back like the touch of a finger. This tomb, which had at first seemed a welcome refuge from the heat, now began to feel dark and sinister. And she was cold. 

She rose from the cot and went to their pile of clothes and wrapped Ardeth's outer robe around her, but she still felt the bone-chilling cold. And worse, she became aware that something was in the cave, something that hid from view but had touched her, it was watching her making sure she knew it was there. 

"Why are you awake?" Ardeth asked her crossly. She looked over and saw him sitting up on his cot, "You should be resting." 

"We have to get out of here, we're not alone, something, I don't know what is in this cave. I had a dream, or maybe it was a vision, I don't know. I saw mourners, priests, and a gilded coffin on a sledge hauled through the desert and brought here. He must have been someone important, but I saw no name, I even saw the seal of the necropolis placed on the entrance. There must something special about this tomb and a reason why the deceased did not give his name, even for the last rites." 

Ardeth sighed and pointed towards the entrance, "See that?" She looked and saw a beam of shining into the tomb from outside. We cannot leave, the sun is too hot to travel. You are over-excited. Come here," he said in a voice that brooked no refusal, "I am worried about you. You have never been prone to flights of fancy, now you see an Egyptian funeral? It will be evening soon, and we can leave this place then." 

"Something is in here, Ardeth, it touched me, it spoke to me." Reluctantly she went over to him and let him hold her in his strong arms. "I knew something was in here when we came in, but I wanted to be wrong. If we don't leave soon, I'm afraid it's going to follow us." 

"Do you think it has anything to do with what we are carrying for your father?" 

"Oh, I don't know, I don't know if I want to know. Maybe it's just the djinn of the cave, yes? Didn't your father tell us stories about that?" 

"Do not be afraid, I will protect you," he tightened his arms around her, "Nothing can harm you while you are with me. Now, let us go back to sleep, and then when we wake you will have your wish and we will leave." 

His words might have convinced someone else. Even though his arms were comforting she was still afraid and not knowing what she was afraid of making it worse. 

Despite her fear, his warmth helped soothe and relax her. Maybe it was nothing. The idea of what her father might be up to had her on edge, maybe that was the problem and nothing more. 

Ardeth's hold loosened on her and she slipped out of his arms and went to the bright spot on the cave wall where the sun hit. There was enough light for her to be able to see the tall figure illuminated by the spot of sunlight. 

It was a man with a strange animal head dressed in the linen kilt worn by the pharaohs. The head had a long, hooked snout and strange erect, rectangular, animal ears. In his hand, he held an ankh—the sign of life. 

"Oh my god," she said to herself, she had seen this figure before in books and carved on the wall of a temple and she recognized it. "Set," she whispered, "he could have been one of the high priests of his cult, but why in a tomb where he was so honored did he not wish to reveal his name?" 

She thought back to what she had learned at the Sorbonne. Egyptian religion believed in dualities, every god had his or her opposite. Set had been jealous of his brother Osiris and had killed him, the sister of Osiris, Isis, had brought him back to life and conceived their son Horus. Set had been worshipped in ancient Egypt for hundreds of years until the cult of Horus had replaced him. 

She padded back to her cot, Ardeth's robe trailing behind her. She needed to sleep so she could think clearly. She lay down and wrapped his robe tightly around her and was asleep before her head even touched the cot. 

She woke when Ardeth gently shook her, saying, "Dinner is ready, and I want my robe back. Get dressed and eat, then we can leave. I wish to be out of this place, I want to be in the clean desert air, hurry." 

She handed him his robe then heard his sharp intake of breath. "Ardeth, is something wrong?" 

"Something has happened to your back, stand up so I can see better," he held out his hand and pulled her up. She felt his finger trace something and where his finger went her back began to burn. 

"What is it?" she tried to look over her shoulder but could not see it, as the burning grew worse. "Put something on it, please, it hurts. There's a bandana in my saddlebag, wet it, and use it on my back." 

"Sssstt," he hissed, "There are three large scratch marks on your back, such as an animal would leave, but I know of no animal that would leave marks like this." He got the bandana, wet, it and bathed her back, "Does it hurt?" 

"Not now, the water helped. "Let's get out of here, please, can't we eat while we're riding?" 

"No, just eat and we'll leave. I promise." 

They ate quickly then lead their camels out of the cave. "This place seemed like such a refuge when we first found it," she said, "Now it feels sinister and I have never been so glad to leave a place in my life. 

Why then was it on her mind as they rode across the desert in the night? She remembered the ancient Egyptians placed great importance on names so that one might exist in the afterlife. Why would someone deliberately erase their name and risk their immortality? It didn't make sense. 

She was glad that Ardeth, unlike many whom she knew, could remain silent for long periods, breaking it only when he had something important to say. She needed this now to gather her thoughts and to come to the decision she had been pondering since they left her father's dig site. 

The north star was at its zenith when they stopped to make a brief meal. She slid gratefully from her camel and stretched her back. The long hours she was spending in the saddle were beginning to tell on her, she was not used to spending hours on camelback. 

Ardeth seemed to take a long time to find a place for them to camp. He rejected first one site, then another. Finally, he found a place with an outcropping that would provide a small amount of shade as the sun grew high. 

"Here," he said at last, "This is as good a place as any—what are you he asked as she began to loosen the straps on the camel that carried their supplies and the bundles that her father had given them to carry. 

"I'm going to see what Father gave to me to carry that he would not take himself. That's what I'm doing." 

He put his hand on her arm, "The tent first, then we will look." 

She shrugged her shoulders and went to help him. When the tent was ready, he withdrew the bundles she was looking for. 

"Here," he said and handed them to her, "Are you sure you want to know what they contain?" 

Her answer was to kneel in the sand and untie the twine that held together the canvas that wrapped the smaller one. She opened it up and removed pads of cotton and linen packing. 

"Oh my god," she said softly then covered her mouth with her slender hands.


	7. The Gleam of Jewels, The Glitter of Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ardeth and Roma finally discover what she is carrying for her father

“Oh my god,” Roma repeated, nothing else seemed to come from her lips. She sat hypnotized by what lay before her. “Look Ardeth,” she said, her beautiful face troubled, “Look at this, look, have you ever seen anything like it?” 

Before her, scattered on the wads of linen and cotton, lay a myriad of jewels. Rings, bracelets, pectorals, earrings, scarabs, beaded collars, the gold they were made of catching the light of the desert sun as it rose. She picked up one piece, after another, examining each. She picked out two gold scarabs, handed them to Ardeth, saying, “Would you like these? They are so valuable they are priceless. If you sold them to the right buyer, you could supply your tribe for months, maybe even years.” 

He handed them back to her, “We have no use for them, there is blood on these jewels.” 

"Or maybe even a curse, if you believe in such things," she said absently. She picked up a bracelet finely detailed with inlays of semi-precious stones. Amethyst, carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and quartz. She turned it over, looking for a cartouche, hoping that the name of the original owner had been incorporated into its design, but there was none. 

Each piece was of gold, or carved from semi-precious stone. There were scarabs carved from alabaster and turquoise, one even from amethyst. She looked on the underside of one or two, looking for the names of pharaohs and found them. Ramesses, Seti, Thutmoses, Merneptah, how many others would she find if she looked? 

She picked up a scarab carved delicately of carnelian and turned it over. “Thutmoses,” she read, “I think it’s Thutmoses the third. Some of these jewels go back to the Eighteenth Dynasty, that’s the New Kingdom. Some of the tombs may have lain untouched until the robbers entered them. These are valuable for more than their financial value, they’re a part of the history of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom.” She replaced the jewels into their packing and wrapped the canvas around them, binding it with the twine. 

She looked at the other bundle, it was bigger and bulkier, but less heavy. “What is in that one?” Ardeth asked, his curiosity aroused. 

She said nothing but untied the twine that bound the canvas wrapping. There were more layers of linen pads and cotton, extra care had been taken in packing. Her slender fingers pulled away at the last of the wrappings, then she sat back, unwilling to believe what sat before her eyes. 

It was a diadem decorated by the cobra’s head worn by the pharaohs; she had seen the pictures but she had never seen the actual article. It was made of the finest gold, inlaid with the same stones as the other artifacts, and surprisingly heavy. 

“Look Ardeth,” she breathed, “It’s called a seched diadem, it’s probably over three thousand years old and the only one of its kind in existence. All the others have been broken up, the jewels removed, and the gold melted. What you see here is so valuable that it’s priceless, collectors would give anything they own to possess it. I know of several collectors I could call and they’d be more than willing to pay whatever price I named.” 

“Do you think your father planned to sell it?” 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I think and I intend to prevent it. Pierre Lacau is the Director of Antiquities at the Egyptian Museum and I’m going to turn these over to him. Father might be angry but I don’t care.” She set the diadem on the pile of cotton and linen it had been packed in. “I don’t know what Father was thinking, he knows better. It makes me wonder if someone approached him and offered a sum of money so great that he threw aside common sense and morality and gave in.” 

“I thought your father would be above something like that.” 

“I thought so, too. The thing is, we don’t need the money so I wonder what made him even consider it. If Lacau knew he would be furious and pull Father’s concession for next year, he may even bar him from any further excavating in Egypt. Egypt is his life, why would he do something to risk it?” 

“Perhaps the gold put a madness on him? Gold can make men do foolish things.” 

“Yes, I know, we don’t need the money, we’re already wealthy. I help to handle the financial matters of the estate, if something was wrong, I would know. Father handed over control of our financial affairs to me because he said I was much better at it than him.” 

She let out a noisy breath, “That’s what makes this so strange. He’d be a fool to try to remove these jewels from Egypt, and he knows it’s wrong to do it. Now I’ve got to get these to Lacau and see if my father is in some kind of trouble.” Or if he’s gone mad, she thought. 

He helped her re-pack the diadem and placed it and the other bundle on the camel. “I wish I’m never seen this,” she told him, “But I realize I needed to know. We need to get to Cairo as soon as we can, and I want to confront Father. I’m not going to settle for half an answer, he is going to have to tell me what is going on.” 

Ardeth had only planned to go as far as Minya with her and get her on the boat. Now she felt afraid, fearing that her troubles would not end with her arrival in Cairo. What she carried was too valuable, if anyone suspected what she carried she would find herself in jeopardy. 

In the brief time, they had spent in the desert she had come to depend on him. With him, she felt protected and secure. She had never envisioned needing anyone, it had always been the other way around—people depended on her. Her father depended on her; she was the one who made sure that the digs ran smoothly. She hired the best diggers, made sure they were fed, saw to it that they were paid on time. Her father lived only to excavate; he was intelligent but his skills as an administrator were no match for hers. 

Ardeth said looked at her closely, “Are you all right?” 

“No, no I’m not. If I had any idea of what he was up to I would have turned him down. How dare he place me in danger like this?” 

“He knows that I know the desert well, and the tribes that live here,” Ardeth replied. “There are always bandits, but this stretch of desert is so barren that they do not frequent here—much,” he corrected himself. “I sent out word that we would be traveling through here, I think if there is trouble, we will have help.” 

"What about the danger that isn't human? We weren't alone in that cave, what if whatever was in there knew about the jewels? What if it decided it wanted them, what if it attached itself to us?" 

His hand reached out and touched her shoulder, "You must not think that. We will avoid sleeping in any more tombs. We only have a few more days and will reach Minya and you will be out of the desert and safely on your way to Cairo." 

“Will you come with me, please? I know you want to return but I am afraid and I don’t want to be alone. You know I would not ask you this, but I truly need you. Please stay with me until I can turn over my cache to Lacau. Ardeth, for the first time in my life I am afraid to be alone!” 

“I will come with you,” he answered, “I won’t you leave you alone, I fear for your safety. I will stay at your house in Cairo with until your father returns, I think that your father may have put you both in danger.” 

That afternoon exhausted as she was, she could not sleep. When she tried to close her eyes, she would see images from the cave and remembered the hidden eyes that seemed to follow her every move. Even when she drifted off the sleep, she would wake, fearing what she might see in her dreams. 

She fell asleep late in the afternoon but while she slumbered, she heard eerie voices wailing in the wind that had sprung up. Wails, cries, and whispers mingled with the voices, calling to her, trying to draw her to them and if she listened, she knew she might be lost forever. 

She opened her eyes to see a tall black hooded figure standing at the foot of her cot. He held something in his hand that he aimed at her, and when she saw the white light emanating from it, she began to scream. 

Ardeth seemed to jump out of his cot, “What is wrong, why are you screaming?” 

“Can’t you see it?” she asked, her voice quivering as she struggled not to yield to hysterics, “He was there, there, there at the foot of my cot.” 

Ardeth put his arms around her shoulders, “Look,” he said, his voice gentle but firm, “There is nothing there, you were only having a bad dream. You have barely slept all afternoon and we have a long trek tonight; I want to get you to Minya as soon as I can.” Even in the gloom of tent, violet shadows showed under her eyes. “You are exhausted from the heat; your father never should have sent you on this fool’s errand. Try to rest, I will wake you in a few hours.” 

That night he insisted that she ride with him, he was too fearful that she would fall if she tried to ride alone. Rocked by the gentle rhythms of the camel’s gate she soon fell asleep and did not wake until they halted for a brief meal. 

The few hours of sleep she'd gotten refreshed her and she was able to mount her camel for the rest of their night's ride. That afternoon her sleep was still restless, but the nightmares seemed to abate the further they grew away from the cave and she tried her best not to think about the cargo they carried. 

They finally arrived at the outskirts of Minya. Though it was nothing but a small town, the Nile ferries still docked there and took on passengers. She found a small inn where she could rest for the night while Ardeth booked passage for them to the port of Cairo. 

Though it was forbidden for a white woman to sleep in the same room as a Bedouin, he spent the night with her, relieved that her sleep was restful at last. They transferred the jewels to her saddlebags, making sure that the door locked securely and that she would not have to carry them around with her. 

“No one knows, anyway, I think. We leave tomorrow, yes? I’m going to buy fresh clothes in town, for you as well as me. You’ll look just like another digger, except for your tattoos, only cleaner and better dressed. They’ll think I’m just another mem-sahib and you work for me.” 

"I work for you, oh yes I do, mem-sahib." He put his arms around her and held her close, he was not looking forward to his return to the desert and it bothered him. They had grown close during this journey his feelings for her had taken an unexpected turn. This was a thing that could not be and he knew it, but what he felt for the archaeologist's daughter was turning to love and he did not know what to do about it.


	8. From Minya to Cairo to Danger Again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roma and Ardeth board the boat to Cairo where they run into Rick and Evelyn O'Connell. Evelyn fills them in on Carter's discoveries and Roma insists that they not stay in a hotel but in her villa in Cairo.
> 
> Roma shows the O'Connell's the jewels that she and Ardeth were unknowingly carrying and voices her fears about her father and how he may be in trouble.
> 
> In the meantime, a Bedouin boy makes a discovery in the desert

Minya had been around since the time of the pyramid builders and in its time had been part of a major trade route in the Levant. Perhaps because of this the town had not died away, but had survived various conquests of Egypt and now flourished. 

It was not only a stopping over point for the ships that made the journey up and down the Nile, there were also hotels and shops and other conveniences designed to attract the money of the tourists. 

Roma purchased galabiyas, the garb most frequently worn by the modern Egyptians, but there were also shops where she could purchase clothes for herself. She picked out a beige linen suit and a blue blouse, a skirt and a comfortable white shirt. The journey to Cairo was only 150 miles so she would wait to have their dirty garments washed when they got home. 

They boarded early the next morning, Ardeth having seen to their camels which he would bring with him when he returned home. The stateroom he had booked for her was just big enough to be comfortable for the day’s journey. They would reach Cairo that night. 

Once he had seen her settled, he went on deck to smoke a cigarette. Though he made this trip gladly for her sake, he was not comfortable amongst so much “civilization”. He was not prepared when the boat took off with a shudder and for a moment, he lost his footing but stabled himself. 

“You okay there?” he felt the touch of a hand on his shoulder and turned to find the face of Rick O’Connell staring at him. They shook hands delightedly, he was happy to see the tall handsome American, his companion in adventures that neither had thought they would ever experience. 

“O’Connell,” he said, surprised but glad to see him, “I thought you had returned to England.” 

“We did, but England proved far too cold and dreary. “Evie and I both missed Egypt so we put our son in boarding school and returned to assist on a dig in Abydos. We’re returning to Cairo to consult with an archaeologist friend of hers, then we plan to return and assist Howard Carter with the removal of grave goods from Tutankhamen’s tomb.” 

“Carter actually found an intact tomb?” Rick turned to see an attractive blond woman come to Ardeths’s side. “I was wondering if it was just going to be another one of his follies.” 

Rick took a good look at her. She was slender, attractive, and had cut her blond hair short but it suited her. “Yes, ma’am, he did. One of the archaeologists working for Carter became ill and my wife was invited to take his place. The tomb was just recently opened but it contains some fantastic finds.” 

“I’m sorry, but I think I’ve met you and your wife once before but I can’t recall your name. I’m Roma Wilkes-Pemberly, my father is...” 

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “My wife is an admirer of his work. I’m Rick O’Connell and my wife Evelyn works in the Egyptian Department of the British Museum.” 

“Yes, I recall now. Tell me, where are you and your wife staying? Do you have a house in Cairo?” 

“We had thought to put up at a hotel room until we return to Luxor. It will only be a few days before we leave again.” 

“No, don’t rent a hotel room, come and stay with my father and me. Our house has plenty of rooms and it’s delightfully cool. Plus, we have an excellent cook. You’ll be far more comfortable with us than in a hotel. Besides, you won’t be charged extra to have your laundry done. 

“I’ll have to ask Evie but I’m sure she’ll be delighted, especially since she will be able to discuss Egyptology with someone who will understand what she is talking about. Goodmorning, Miss Pemberley- Wilkes, Ardeth.” He lumbered off to find his cabin. 

Ardeth felt uncomfortable in his new clothes, but it did feel good to be wearing clean garments again. He tied his hair back and was not too unhappy with his reflection in the mirror. 

Roma was wearing a skirt and a pink shirt. “You look nice,” he told her, “I have never seen you...” 

“Dressed like a woman?” she suggested, “We’re meeting Rick and Evelyn for lunch so I thought I’d make a good impression. It felt good to take a bath and change, I couldn’t wait until I returned home. I think it will be nice to have the O’Connell’s staying with us. I will have support now when I confront Father. I want him to tell me why he was using us to smuggle those jewels to Cairo. You and Rick are imposing enough that he might feel obligated to tell the truth. 

The “Pharaoh” was not a luxurious boat, but offered its passengers some measure of comfort. One of the ways it did this was to employ an excellent cook. There was not much European fare on the menu but delicious dishes confections of lamb, poultry, and couscous more than made up for it. 

Evelyn O’Connell was looking as lovely as ever, Ardeth decided, with her dark mane of hair and brown eyes she formed a pleasant contrast to Roma’s short golden hair and grey eyes. As he looked surreptitiously from one to the other, he could not make up his mind who was more beautiful. 

He and O’Connell discussed his trip from the Valley to Minya, but he was not yet ready to discuss the incidents that happened to them in the deep desert, that would wait until they reached the safety of her house in Cairo. 

Evelyn was filling Roma in on the details of Howard Carter’s progress. “Carter pushed the workers to clear the passage, which they were more than willing to do just to get a glimpse of a Pharaoh’s tomb. There was another doorway with the seal of the acropolis and when they broke through, they were met with the sight of gold everywhere. Can you imagine that? And that’s only the first chamber! It will take ten years at least to clear the tomb and properly preserve the artifacts!” 

“He will be lucky if he is the one who completes it. He is always at odds with Lacau who has little love for him and I can’t blame him. Carter is arrogant, he’s one of the best but insists on everything being done his way and will not tolerate interference from anyone. And if I know Carter and Carnarvon they are going to try to steal as much of the contents as they can for themselves. Carter had better watch himself.” 

“Yes, that is rather unfortunate, isn’t it? Egypt’s treasure belongs to the Egyptians, that is only right. It’s too bad some people get so greedy and lose their perspective. We’re here to help the Egyptians, not steal from them.” 

The boat docked after dinner in the soft, velvet Egyptian night. Rick and Ardeth made arrangements to stable the camels, relieving them of their loads and engaging a truck to take their baggage to villa the Wilkes-Pemberly's owned on the outskirts of Cairo. The women were loaded into a cab, along with their luggage, and driven to the quiet neighborhood where Roma lived with her father. 

The house was old, having been remodeled from an Turkish villa that dated to the times of the Ottomans. The ceilings with their fans were high and the walls thick enough to keep it cool in the summer and, with the help of fireplaces, warm in the winter. 

Roma was glad to be home, but something felt wrong. Where was her father? Excusing herself she ran to the garage where she and her father kept their vehicles, but there was no sign of her father’s truck, or that he had been there recently. 

“Is everything all right?” asked Evelyn but Roma shook her head. 

“No, Father’s truck is not here, and there is no sign that he has returned. 

Ardeth and Rick entered the foyer and she ran to Ardeth and put her arms around him. “Ardeth, Father is not here. His truck is gone and it looks as though he hasn’t been here.” 

“Have you talked to the servants? Maybe he only stepped out for a while,” he said, but the look on her face told him that the news would not be good. 

They questioned the servants in their rapid Arabic and Rick saw the troubled looks on their faces and knew. Pemberley hadn’t returned from the Valley of the Kings. 

Ardeth guided her to a seat on a sofa and Evelyn sat next to her and took her hand. “Is it possible that he was delayed?” she asked gently. 

“Oh, it’s possible, but unlikely. He should have been here before us. The servants say he hasn’t been here although he was expected much earlier. If he was delayed, he would have left word for me in Minya.” A servant came and handed her a glass of brandy which she drank gratefully. “Oh, I’m sorry, I should have asked if you wanted any.” She looked around, confused, suddenly no longer the confident English woman but a confused young girl. 

Rick and Evelyn accepted a brandy, Ardeth declined but took a cup of tea. They drank in silence until Roma interrupted saying, “We’ve got to go back to the Valley of the Kings and look for Father. I need to find out what happened to him!” 

“It would do you no good,” Rick said as kindly as he could, “Unless you know what route he took, if he took the main road out of the valley and headed for Cairo he should be here by now. If his vehicle broke down, anything could have happened. He could have been beset by bandits or he might have taken shelter with the local Bedouin. Either way it is not looking very good. You should check with the police in Luxor to find out if they have any word. 

“And you have to meet with Lacau at the museum,” Ardeth added, he looked at her, then at the O’Connells. Should I tell them his look said? 

She dismissed the servants, then turned out all the lights, save those in the living room. She retrieved her saddlebags, then drew out the two canvas-wrapped packages. 

“I have something to show you, but you must tell no one what you saw.” They looked at her and nodded, then she opened first one bundle, then the other. 

Evelyn drew in a sharp intake of breath, Rick whistled and said, “Oh my god—are those real?” 

Evelyn picked up a bracelet and held it to the light, “This is exquisite, the workmanship and the quality of the gold.” She examined one piece after another, “There is a fortune here, if a price could even be put on it. Where did it come from?” 

“My father told me nothing but I suspect he found them stashed here and there in the Valley of the Kings, and Deir El Medina. He believes they are caches that the tomb robbers hid and intended to come back for later. He thinks there may be caches like this hidden in the valley, but with Carter working there he can’t search it. I think he didn’t intend to turn these over to the museum, but lined up a private buyer. And probably intended to receive a large sum of money. 

“This is Egypt’s heritage; it should not be taken out of the country. Look at this seched diadem, there is probably no other in existence. These scarabs and jewelry are from the New Kingdom. He had Ardeth and I smuggle it out without telling us what we were carrying.” 

“I don’t know where my father is, or if he’s even alive. There are so many unscrupulous people in this business that he could have gotten himself into trouble that he didn’t foresee. I wonder if his buyers were expecting to retrieve these jewels here in Cairo, if so, I don’t feel very safe.” 

“Ardeth and I can protect you for now,” said Rick, pulling a pistol from a holster on his hip. He spun the chamber and then replaced it.” The danger is that you don’t know who you are deal with, do you?” 

“No,” she shook her head, “That’s why I want to get these jewels to Lacau as soon as possible. I don’t know if I should remain here or not. We have a house in Luxor, maybe I should go there. Do you think I would be all right there?” 

Ardeth took her hand, “One step at a time, if the O’Connells can go with us, I can help to protect you.” He looked at Rick who gave a faint nod of his head. 

The boy was looking for a goat that had strayed from the herd. He made a bleating noise, trying to attract it when he saw something that looked like a bundle of rags lying on the sand. Thinking it might contain something useful, he trotted towards it, then as he grew closer realized it was not rags at all. 

The man was English, his face burned red by the sun and his hair bleached whiter than the sands. The man licked his cracked, bleeding lips, then croaked, “Help me,” then drew his last breath.


	9. Murder in the Sahara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On her first morning home, Roma finds out that her father has been murdered. She must put this aside, however, for she wants to deliver the Egyptian jewelry from the Valley of the Kings to Pierre Lacau, the Director of Antiquities. She wishes to return to Luxor after her father is buried, but the hot season has begun and it would not be good to attempt an investigation in such severe weather.

The sun sent shafts of light through the stained-glass windows and formed dancing patterns on the tile floor of her room. For the first time in days, she felt safe—and clean. She and Ardeth had soaked in the giant tub before retiring to bed. 

The son of the desert had grumbled a little at the softness of the bed, but they’d made love and gone almost immediately to sleep. And not just sleep, a deep, dreamless sleep from which neither had woken until the early hours of the morning. 

“Good morning,” he opened his eyes, leaned over her, smiling, and kissed her. “I am ashamed to say that I found this bed most comfortable, but perhaps it was because of the woman I shared it with.” 

She lay her slender hand on his cheek and was about to kiss him when they heard pounding at the front door. 

“Missy, Missy,” Busa said, her hands slapping at the bedroom door. 

“It’s all right, Busa, we’re coming,” she assured her and she and Ardeth slipped their gallabiyahs over their heads. “Just a moment,” she told him and opened the top drawer of her dresser. She withdrew two Colt pistols, “They’re loaded, I’m taking no chances.” 

Busa followed anxiously as they went to the front door. Roma made ready to pull aside the panel that covered the peek hole, but Ardeth pushed her away, saying, “Let me.” He shoved aside the panel and looked out. “The police,” he told her and stepped away to open the door. 

Two Egyptians stood on the front step, patiently waiting to be allowed in. “Salaam Aleichem," they said in Arabic, bowing politely. "We have an urgent matter to discuss with you, may we come in?" 

“Of course,” Roma replied and showed them into the dining room. “Please, sit, Tea, Busa.” The maid bowed and left the room. 

What must they be thinking? She and Ardeth were looking rumpled and it was obvious to any who would see that they had just come from their bed. An unbeliever and a Muslim were bad enough, but this one was a Bedouin. She handed Ardeth her pistol and he deposited both on a bookshelf. 

Busa returned, carrying the steaming samovar on a tray along with cups and saucers. She served policemen first, her look saying that they had no right to disturb her mistress this early in the morning. She bowed when Roma waved her away and left the room, her aged face full of concern. 

“Will you please tell me why you are here?” she asked politely in Arabic, fear growing inside her, the police never came unless something was wrong. 

"We have bad news for you miss," one policeman said, obviously grateful to be speaking in Arabic, not English, "A body was found in the desert outside Luxor, we are afraid to tell you that it's your father." 

“What? No, that can’t be,” she was grateful for the hand that Ardeth had placed on her shoulder, “We left him a week ago, he intended to drive to Cairo, the truck was packed with the artifacts he had found this season. There had been no trouble with bandits this season so he made the drive with just one of his men.” 

“His clothes were quite tattered but we found his papers in the inside pocket of his coat. It was him. We also found the body of the driver, but no sign of the truck. It must have been bandits, miss.” 

“How did he die?” 

“We will not know until the post-mortem is performed. Once that is completed, we can release the body to you—do you have a preferred mortuary?” 

How can they ask me that, thought Roma, my father has just been killed and they are asking me to give them the name of a funeral home? 

“Just pick one in Cairo that the British most frequently use and notify me. I will have him buried here in Cairo next to my mother. Now, please, I just ask you to leave me, I am quite distressed at this news.” Tears were starting to form in her eyes but she did not wish to cry in front of the Cairo Police. 

Busa showed them out with an anxious look for her mistress. Ardeth took her in his arms and she began to cry uncontrollably. “Go,” he told the maid and she scurried out of the room. 

Rick and Evelyn O’Connell walked into the room, intending to wish them a good morning when they came upon Roma crying, while Ardeth tried to soothe her. 

Evelyn’s motherly instincts came to the fore, “My dear, my poor dear, whatever is wrong.” Rick stood stoically by. 

"Her father was murdered outside Luxor," Ardeth said wearily, "Can you pour a cup of tea for her?" Evelyn nodded. 

"Here, try and drink some of this," he held the cup to her lips and she complied, "There's my good girl," he said in soothing tones as she complied, "Now drink the rest of it for we must talk." 

She took the cup from him and drained its contents. “I’m so sorry,” she told them, “I wish I could say this came as a shock, but Father hinted that something could happen.” 

“Don’t worry about that,” said Rick, “Tell us what we can do to help.” 

She set the cup down. "I am going to call the Egyptian Museum and talk to Lacau, I want to get these jewels out of my house as soon as I can. Lacau may see me today, Cairo is like a small town, I am sure that the news of Father's murder has already spread. Evelyn, would you come with me? I don't feel up to doing it alone." 

“Of course,” she answered, looking up at Rick, “Call him now and see what he says.” 

Roma pushed herself out of her chair and went to the phone. The others could only hear her side of the conversation, but it became apparent that not only would Lacau see her, but he would also see her that afternoon, say, at one? 

She hung up the phone. “I suppose I should be grateful for pity; in this instance, it is accomplishing what normally might take days. I haven't told him about the jewels, only that I have some artifacts I need to turn over to him. Except for the king's jewels, I've lost all that we collected this digging season. Some of the pieces on the truck could fetch a nice price and a better one on the black market." 

“Let me take you to your room,” said Evelyn, “And help you get cleaned up. I need to borrow a suit if you don’t mind, my trunks haven’t arrived from England yet.” She took her by the arm and led her to her bedroom. 

A little while later they emerged, Roma dressed in a black linen suit and grey blouse, Evelyn wearing Roma’s new linen suit. They sat at the table and Busa poured them tea. 

“I just realized I’m in mourning, though I haven’t the time for the formalities. Ardeth, as soon as I settle things with Lacau and get Father buried, I want to go back to Luxor. Someone must have known what Father found, that’s why he sent us into the desert. I thought he was using us as a decoy, but it was the other way around." She sighed and Ardeth came and sat next to her. 

“Some of my people worked for him, we can talk to them and see if they know anything, but shouldn’t you leave this to the police?” 

“The police are incompetent; they’ll say it was bandits and leave it at that. Even if I bribe them, they'll do a bare minimum and say the case is closed. It doesn't matter who investigates, Cairo, Luxor, the results will be the same. All they want to do now is work for Howard Carter and collect easy money—they don't care about an old British archaeologist's murder. All they will do is say he must have been careless and that it must have been the will of God. If I want justice, I have to get it for myself.” 

Normally the offices in museums were located in the basement, but in the Egyptian Museum, Pierre Lacau had his on the top floor. All eyes would be on him as he walked through the museum to the stairway that led to the floor of his office. In this way, he was able to make an entrance without seeming to. 

His latest headache, just one of many for the man who oversaw all the legal archaeological digs in Egypt, was Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. Since he had the concession, Carter considered the Valley of the Kings his private venue and would brook no interference from Egyptian authorities, himself in particular. 

He did not know why Roma Wilkes-Pemberley had insisted on meeting him, but with the news of the death of her father, he felt obligated to do what he could. There would, of course, be an inquest into his death, but bandits were common and if he had not traveled with an adequate guard his fate was not so unexpected. 

What he did not expect was the entrance Roma Wilkes-Pemberley made with her entourage. Evelyn O’Connell accompanied her, along with her disreputable husband Rick O’Connell. With them, watching anxiously over Miss Wilkes-Pemberley was a Bedouin whose name he ought to know but could not place. 

He was quick to see them seated, and ordered tea. Then, rubbing his hands together, a nervous habit he had developed, he said: 

“What may I do for you Miss Wilkes-Pemberley.” 

The Bedouin placed a strongbox on his desk and unlocked it, then gestured to him. Lacau opened the box and removed a square of linen and drew in a deep breath. 

Carter’s find was bringing in a sizable number of gold ornaments, but Lacau had never seen so much gold jewelry from the Pharaohs in one place. He picked up a bracelet that had the cartouche of Amenhotep I worked into it, then picked up another piece. 

“My god, where did this come from? Where on earth did he find it?” 

"That, Monsieur Lacau, I do not know. Father has been secretive, even with me this season. What he was up to I do not know. I know there have been rumors of caches left behind by thieves who would drop their loot and avoid being caught by the Medjai. And there is the story of treasures cached that the thieves intended to come back for later but didn’t out of fear or lack of opportunity.” 

“I don’t know how much credence I put in this,” she continued, “But this is mostly eighteenth dynasty pieces, with a few from the nineteenth. I know Father believed the story, but how was he able to know where to look, especially with Carter working in the Valley?” 

“I’m turning these over to you, I don’t know Father intended to do with him, but they belong to Egypt and this is where they should stay. They may have cost Father his life, I don’t know, either way, I want them out of my house. I don’t want to see them again, ever.” 

Lacau looked at the glittering hoard that lay before him. He was falling under the spell of what lay before him and could not believe his good luck. He would pay her the standard ten percent fee he had initiated; she didn’t seem greedy like Howard Carter who had intended to retain fifty percent of what he found. 

"On behalf of the Egyptian Museum and Department of Antiquities, I wish to thank you. This is a very generous gift, so little jewelry from the eighteenth dynasty has survived and the diadem,” he held it up to the light, “No one has seen anything like this before, they were all thought to have been destroyed by the thieves. It will have a place of honor and your name as finder will be fully displayed.” 

“Say rather, that it was my father who found it,” she replied, “But I think you for taking this off my hands. At least the people of Egypt will be able to enjoy it.” 

She rose and shook his hand, then he repeated with the other members of her party. He escorted her out himself, pleased with the picture that he presented. He was already trying to decide how he would display the jewels. 

The foursome left the museum, stepping out into the bright Egyptian sunlight. “I am glad that is over,” Roma said, “Now I must deal with Father and when that is over, I want to begin to search for his killers.” 

“Miss Wilkes-Pemberley,” Rick said gently, “We are heading into the hot season, it wouldn’t be a good idea to venture out into the desert now. Let the police do their work and then when the cool weather comes you can begin.” 

“In the meantime, the trail will grow cold and it will be hard to learn what happened. Memories will fade and the perpetrators will have time to escape. I cannot live without knowing what happened, he was my father.” She turned to Ardeth, want a drink, will you come with us even though you don’t?” 

“You need to go home and rest, you have had an eventful day.” 

She was finding it hard to refuse him these days, “All right, if that is agreeable with the O'Connell's--I was thinking of them, too.” It was a weak rationalization and she knew it.


	10. A Not So Simple Robbert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After turning over the jewels to the Egyptian, Roma and the O"Connells return to her home and find an unpleasant surprise. The house has been robbed, the servants frightened, and Roma wonders why anyone would have bothered. After the police come and go they search the house and find one hiding place that the robbers have missed. Professor Wilkes-Emberly has made a map of the Valley full of mysterious little "x's", is this the location of caches that he's searched?

Lacau hurried Ms. Wilkes-Emberly and the O’Connells out the door, wishing them a good day. It took all the control he could muster to keep himself from running back to his office and his new acquisition. He sat at his desk and with avaricious eyes laid out the jewels out one by one. 

He could not believe his good fortune—he was hearing rumors of empty jewels boxes being found by Carter, their contents stolen long ago. Here was a treasure trove of Pharaonic jewels, the likes of never having been seen before, of exquisite workmanship, possibly even having been worn by their previous owners. Though the public would wonder at the items being removed from Tutankhamen’s tomb, these would rival them, especially the diadem. No one previously had recovered a pharaoh’s crown. 

Outside of the museum, Roma breathed a sigh of relief. “I hope I never see those jewels again. I think they cost Father his life.” She squeezed Ardeth’s fingers for reassurance, “I want to go home now, I don’t know why I feel so tired.” 

They flagged down one of Cairo’s black taxis and directed the driver to take them to her house. She would not let Rick pay, but as was her habit overpaid the driver. 

She looked at Rick, “I know what you are thinking, but you are wrong. I know many of the taxi drivers in Cairo and get the best service because I pay them too much. It only costs me a little but they don’t make much money and they appreciate it—and therefore never try to rob me.” 

The servants were outside looking apprehensive and frightened. Busa rushed forward, “Oh missy, men come, bad men, so we run away. When we come back, we see what they did to your house and it scared us. They were awful men.” 

Rick O’Connell looked at Ardeth, “Come with me, you two,” he directed Evelyn and Roma, “Stay out here until we check it out.” 

Roma and Evelyn intertwined their fingers and followed, refusing to be left behind, Busa trailing them refusing to leave her beloved Roma. “Oh no,” breathed Roma as they entered the villa, dismayed at the sight that met her eyes. 

The robbers’ work had been done in haste, in their hurry they had knocked over furniture and slashed cushions looking for something they could not find. Rugs had been pulled up and some floor tiles were chipped, revealing where the vandals had attempted to pry them up, looking for an empty cavity beneath. 

Rick looked at the women, “Didn’t I tell you to wait?” Ardeth shook his head. 

Busa was wailing and Roma put her arms around the old woman’s shoulders to comfort her. “Don’t worry, they only destroyed the furniture, that is easily replaceable, what is important is that none of you were hurt.” 

The searched the rest of the house, finding similar carnage, for some reason the robbers had slashed the bolsters but left the mattresses and coverings intact. The beds were heavy and only partially pulled from the walls. 

“Were they looking for the jewels?” Evelyn looked at Roma, then at Rick, “What was the point of tearing things apart, if not for the jewels.” 

The doors to her father’s armoire were hanging open, the contents of the two drawers lay on the floor. Roma covered her mouth, exhaling air through open fingers. 

“I can think of one thing, Father’s papers, but the bulk are in his office at Oxford for safe keeping. If they knew about the jewels...but how could they know unless someone told them? Everyone knew I planned all along to turn them over to the Egyptian Museum. Oh god, our house in Luxor, I’ve got to call the police there and have them check the house.” 

She ran to the phone, half expecting to have it pulled out of the wall but the cord was still in place. She began speaking in rapid Arabic, her voice rising in pitch as she grew more distressed. At last she hung up and sighed. 

“They’re going to check the house, but they think it may be undisturbed. Father may have been on his way to Cairo when they waylaid him and killed him. But if whoever broke into here didn’t find what they were looking for, they may try there. I’d leave tonight, but Father’s body will be here in a few days and I’ve got to see to his burial, I can’t just leave him in the morgue.” 

“What I suggest then,” said Rick in his calm voice, “Is that we wait. The police in Luxor will watch your house and I’m sure they will call if anything comes up. We can wait for your father’s body to arrive and once he’s buried, we can go to Luxor. In the meantime, do you know if your father had any papers here that would indicate just what he was searching for in the Valley?” 

She looked at him for a moment, then went to the study and returned carrying a small electric torch. “I think I know where he hid something, but I’m not sure what it was. They tried to break into his desk but the locks foiled them.” She knelt on the floor and aimed the torch’s beam into the bottom of the armoire. “Aha!” she said and pulled out a packet wrapped in waxed silk. 

The one thing the robbers had accomplished was the destruction of any furniture that possessed a cushion, so they had to content themselves with sitting on the floor. Roma was about to open the packet when the police knocked on the door, and they spent the next hour going through the house and taking careful notes which Roma was sure would prove fruitless. After a tedious asking of questions and a perfunctory search, the police left. 

They spread a carpet on the floor and sat down to examine the packet. Roma’s forehead puckered as she looked at the package. “There is something different about this, the wrapping is newer and a different color, he must have added to it.” 

She pulled the silk open with a gentle touch, revealing its contents. A stack of papers lay there, old and yellowed copies on the bottom and obviously new papers on the top. A sheet of paper had been folded to fit the size of the packet and lay on top, for how long she did not know. 

She removed it and set the rest aside, unfolding and spreading it out so they all could see it. “No,” she said, “This isn’t, is it?” and the others looked in wonder at what lay before them. 

Professor Wilkes-Emberly had been a competent artist and draftsman, many archaeologists were out of necessity. The proof of this was a careful map of the Valleys of the Kings and Queens. Every known tomb had been marked on the map, kings, queens, nobles. 

Wilkes-Emberly painstaking attention to detail was obvious, every ridge, every wadi, path, and road had been included. Even the location of Deir El Medina was given though not marked. The professor had added the location of the mummy caches and Howard Carter’s recent discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb. 

“Wow,” breathed Rick; “My goodness,” said Evelyn, only Ardeth was unsurprised by what he saw before him. 

Evelyn ran a finger along the ridge that separated the West Valley from the East Valley. “He’s included every known tomb that’s been discovered, but what are these tiny ‘x’s’?” 

“I think that might be the location of caches or suspected caches, in which case I’d be surprised if anything was there at all. Usually if there is something to be found it’s dug up and brought into town to the local black-market antiquities dealer. You can’t blame them, really, these people are so poor that find ancient relics bring in badly needed cash. The fact that it’s their heritage means little when they have mouths to feed.” 

“So, these are caches that your father found and dug up?” 

“Perhaps, sometimes the peasants are too afraid to try to sell what they find so they leave it alone and tell an archaeologist...” 

“Like your father,” added Ardeth. 

“Like my father who they know will pay them for their knowledge and a small stipend for whatever they find. The Valley of the Kings and the Queens was in use for only 500 years, that’s a drop in the bucket in the history of ancient Egypt, but a fortune in gold and jewels lay in the tombs. After the end of the nineteenth dynasty they abandoned Thebes and the Valley in favor of the Nile Delta.” 

“How much do you think your father actually found?” The light of the treasure hunter shone in Rick’s eyes. 

“Well, we saw what Ardeth and I had, whether or not he was carrying any treasure was known only to him. Maybe we carried the bulk of it through the desert and he had a small portion, I don’t know. Likewise, I don’t know where any of it came from, he made no marks on the map to indicate what he found—unless he intended to do it when he got back to Cairo.” 

“So, there could be treasure still in some of those caches?” Rick persisted. 

“Maybe, maybe not. I researched Deir El Medina; I have no knowledge of this. I’ve studied the Valley of the Kings and it’s general knowledge that we don’t know if all the tombs located there have been accounted for. I’d like to talk to Carter, Evelyn, you’re to work with him, yes? Do you suppose you could ask about a position for me? He and my father were rivals, but I’ve really had nothing to do with him.” 

“Perhaps,” said Evelyn, a cautious tone to her voice, “But what about finding who killed your father?” 

“I think someone betrayed my father but they didn’t realize that the bulk of what he found was carried by Ardeth and myself. I don’t know if it’s one of the archaeologists who assisted my father, or if it was one of the workmen. All I know is that my father should not have died and I’d like to know whose hand was in it. I think we can find out more from the workmen than the policemen could find in their investigation—if they even bother.” 

She sighed and stretched her neck from side to side, the bones making a cracking noise. “I’m tired, but I don’t want to spend any more time here until the house is straightened up and all the furniture repaired or replaced. The servants will be here to look after things, I’m going to book two suites at the Shepheard’s and we can stay there until it’s time to leave for Luxor. You will all be coming with me, I trust?” Her pleading look said more than her words. 

“Not the Shepheard’s, someplace quieter and less conspicuous would suit me better,” said Evelyn, “I can make a call if you like, and make reservations for the boat. It’s been a long day and not a pleasant one at that, I for one would like a quiet dinner and then a good night’s sleep. How long will it take you to pack?” 

“I just need a few things, I have everything I need at our house in Luxor,” tears formed in her eyes, she realized she would never see her father again. “If you wish to help me, I will be glad, I want to see what Carter is up to and what he’s bringing out of the tomb.” 

Rick and Evelyn left the room, leaving her alone with Ardeth. “If you don’t want to do this, I don’t blame you,” she said to him, “I know it’s a kind of madness that’s come upon me but I won’t rest until I find out who killed Father.” 

He reached for her, pulling her into his arms, nestling her close. “I cannot let you do this alone, therefore I will come with you. Your father was always kind to me and kind to my tribe. You should beware of what you are doing, though, you may find out more than you want to know.”


	11. To Luxor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Roma, Ardeth, and the O'Connells come back from the museum they find that the house has been ransacked, but they don't know what the thieves were looking for. The O'Connells agree to come to Luxor with Ardeth and Roma. Evelyn tells Roma she wants to see the tomb that Ardeth and Roma found, but she is afraid to return there

Evelyn settled on a medium-sized hotel that catered mostly to travelers and archaeologists, and at times a few locals. It had once been a way station that now could boast of having been there for almost fifty years. There was no restaurant the downstairs canteen catered both to locals and out of towners and frequently could be a good source of gossip, both local and outside of Cairo. 

The first stars were pricking the Egyptian night sky when the foursome unloaded themselves wearily from the taxi. The driver unloaded their bags, holding out his hand which Roma filled with a generous tip. 

“Please let me know if you hear any gossip that might be of use,” she told him, “Nothing is too unimportant, mind you, I will pay you well for anything you hear.” 

The hotel was comfortable but lacked valets, only a weary-looking concierge sitting behind a counter. Roma paid for the rooms, plus a little extra. 

“No one needs to know we are here,” she told him, “And there will be more if you let me know if someone asks about any of us.” Greed, she knew, could be counted upon and taken advantage of is necessary. 

It took all of her energy to consume the excellent dinner at the little restaurant they had found around the corner from the hotel. The Muslim proprietor did not approve of spirits of any kind but he had learned that if he kept a good red wine to be consumed with dinner, he attracted more of the British travelers who appreciated the good food and service that he provided. 

The sky had now filled with stars when they left, but Roma was too tired to appreciate the beauty of the night sky. Ardeth’s strong arm kept her from stumbling as they made their weary way back to the hotel for one last drink in the canteen. 

“As soon as Father’s body arrives, I can get him buried and we can get to Luxor. Roma held up her glass and gazed at the amber liquid she swirled around, “Ardeth, do you think we should show them what we found?” 

“I thought you didn’t want to go back there,” he replied but she shrugged her shoulders. 

“Now that I’m away from it I don’t see it so evil as what happened to Father. You would want to see it, I think, Evelyn. An elaborately carved tomb with no cartouches to say who the owner was. The sarcophagus made of basalt and polished to a shine, but even with no carving on it he must have been someone important.’ She looked at them to see if she was holding their interest. 

“I was wondering if it belonged to a priest of Set, I saw a carving of him on the wall, complete with the ankh and a staff.” 

“Really,” Evelyn breathed and Rick thought, oh no. To search for jewel caches in the Valley of the Kings under the nose of Howard Carter sounded harmless in comparison to the tomb of a priest of the God of Chaos. 

Fortunately, Ardeth came to his rescue, “You had nightmares in that place, Roma, you said that you never wanted to go back there. You are over-tired, that is all. Let us go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. The events of the past few days have been hard on you, you are not thinking clearly.” 

And it did feel good to slide into bed, feeling his naked body against hers. He made love to her as if she were one of her fragile artifacts then held her in his arms all night as if he would ward off any bad dreams. 

Towards morning, the dawn sky lightening but the sun not yet risen, she opened her eyes to see a tall black figure standing at the foot of the bed. She closed her eyes, then opened them—it had not gone away. She started screaming, disturbing the guests in the rooms near them. 

Ardeth took care of them, assuring them that the Englishwoman had had a very bad nightmare, but she would be all right, and he apologized for what had happened. The hostile glares he received let him know that apologies weren't sufficient, but they were too polite to say so. 

Rick and Evelyn appeared, and Ardeth admitted them into the room where Roma sat huddled in bed, the covers pulled up under her chin, 

“She’s all right,” said Ardeth, “She just had a bad dream.” 

Rick handed her the flask that he had brought with him, and she drank deeply. 

“No, Ardeth, it was no more a dream than it was last time it happened. Something was standing at the foot of my bed, it was tall, black, and opaque, no light came through it. I saw it in the desert when we spent the last night in the tomb. I closed my eyes when I saw it, then opened them again and it was still there. Please tell me it didn’t follow us from there.” 

Two days later, her father’s body arrived from Luxor. “We could lift the lid for you, miss,” said the mortician, "But I wouldn't recommend it. You should remember him the way he was the last time you saw him, it's better that way." 

The O’Connells were next to her for the graveside service, and, to her surprise, Pierre Lacau made an appearance to pay his respects. She watched as the acacia wood coffin was lowered into the grave—he would rest now next to his beloved wife. His secret knowledge went with him. 

She dreamt about him the next night. They were sipping tea in the parlor in their Cairo house. “I’m sorry about my deception, my dear, but I didn’t want to frighten you.” 

“Who killed you, Father, and what were they after? The jewels? Do you know who betrayed you?” 

“I’d be careful about that tomb if I were you, you know how the Egyptians felt about names. Not a good sign that you didn’t find any hieroglyphs, you’d only find a cartouche if he were royalty.” He stood up and kissed her, “I’ve got to be going now.” He walked out the front door and disappeared. 

She jerked up and shook her head. The dream had seemed so real—but how had her father known about the tomb? She certainly didn’t have the chance to tell him. Her father was not familiar with the desert, let alone any ruins that might be found there. 

“Ardeth, wake up, please,” she gently shook his shoulder and he was awake immediately. 

“What’s wrong?” his face was full of concern as it always seemed to be these days. 

"Nothing's wrong, but I had the strangest dream—Father was here and it seemed so real that it felt like he was alive, not dead. He warned me about the tomb, the fact that it had no hieroglyphs, and how I would only have found a cartouche if the owner was royalty. Then he walked out the front door and disappeared." 

“You should listen to your father, that tomb is an evil place. Remember how you said you’d never go back there? Your bad dreams? Why do you want to return?” 

“I don’t know, that figure that appeared at the foot of my bed, well, I don’t think I can make it go away if I don’t go back there. We won’t be alone this time, Rick and Evie will be with us. Evie is an Egyptologist, too, maybe she’ll know something about it that I don’t.” 

He sighed, “I wish we hadn’t taken shelter in that tomb; you have not been the same since we did. We’ll go to your house in Luxor and see what we can find out about your father’s murder. Wouldn’t you rather investigate those marking on your father’s map than go back into the desert? It was three days by camel, we’ll have to bring everything we need with us. Doesn’t Evelyn have a job with Howard Carter waiting for her?” 

She slumped down, defeated for the moment. "Yes, everything you are saying makes sense. All right, I'll forget it for now, but if Evelyn wants to see the tomb and we can do it, I want to try to find it again. After all, we won't be going all the way to Minya this time." 

There was a party atmosphere on the ship that was taking them to Luxor but she would not have been in the mood to enjoy it if it was not for Evelyn. Rick and Ardeth would disappear together for hours at a time. Evelyn told her that Rick carried an arsenal with him and Ardeth was more than competent with firearms. They would no doubt be well protected, but what if firearms could not kill whatever threatened them? 

The night before the boat was due to dock in Luxor, Evie took Roma aside and grabbing a bottle of whiskey and two glasses and led her to a table located at the stern. She poured a glass for each of them then said, 

“Tell me about this tomb.” Her eyes seemed to glow as she said this. 

“Well, there’s not much more to say, I’ve pretty much told you everything there is to know.” 

“Of course, there is, like, how did you find it?” 

“There was a sandstorm. It’s about a month too early but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. We saw this opening in the cliff and decided to see if it was big enough to shelter us and the camels. The opening led to a long corridor which led to a huge chamber with a sarcophagus.” 

"We didn't give it too much thought, you know, we needed a place where we could find refuge until the storm was over, and it seemed perfect. The tomb was kind of strange, the walls of the chamber had been finished and carved, but the ceiling and the corridor were left rough. And the tomb is in an out of the way place, if he was a priest, he might have been able to have a small tomb in the Valley near the pharaoh he served—why did he pick such an out of the way place?" 

“You told me the walls were decorated, what was on them? Evelyn’s voice seemed eager, obviously wanting to hear more. 

“Well, there were the usual gods carved on the walls, they had been finished but not plastered over and painted. There was also a carving of what may have been him and his two sons. But no hieroglyphs, no names, nothing. There was a carving of the god Set where the sun would hit it from the corridor, but neither he nor any of the other gods had their cartouches. I’ve never seen a tomb like it.” 

“I’d love the see it,” she breathed, “How old do you think it was?” 

“I’m not sure, but I’m guessing by the style of the carvings that it was New Kingdom. He may have been a priest of the Set cult, though I can’t be sure. There’s nothing of value there, I found a few beads and some ushabtis, that’s all. The only thing that would be important is the wall carvings and the fact there are no names.” 

"It sounds intriguing, I've never seen anything like you just described. Just think, if it hasn't been officially discovered, we could claim credit. This might be something important, we could submit a paper and get official recognition. There are so few women archaeologists, we could set an example for future generations!” 

"All of that will be irrelevant if we can't get anyone to take us there. I know Ardeth will try to keep me away, and I won't go there by myself, it's too dangerous. That tomb scares me, Evie, I'm not so sure I want to go back there—ever."


	12. No Longer a Refuge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roma, Ardeth, and the O'Connells arrive at her house in Luxor. She is so overwhelmed with emotion and grief that she bursts into tears. Evelyn, in a subtle/not so subtle way, starts asking her questions about the tomb and what it would take to get there. She has a week before she has to report to Carter to begin her work and would like to see it. Rick and Ardeth tell her and Roma it is out of the question. Roma leaves it there, but Evelyn is determined to find it and see it for herself

The boat finally reached its destination and Roma found herself reluctant to disembark, preferring to float forever on the Nile free from the visions and dreams that had plagued her on land. Father Nile had proven her protector, its waters shielding her from the apparition that haunted her since the first terrifying appearance at the foot of her cot in the tomb. 

Sitting on her bed in the cabin she decided that she could not leave. Whatever haunted her had its roots in the sands of Egypt. If she remained here it simply could not find her. 

"Come, Roma, we must leave now." Ardeth stood in the doorway, now clad in his customary black robes. How different he seemed to her, the son of the Med-Jai no longer seemed strange and arrogant, instead there stood the man who watched over her so tenderly and was such a considerate lover. 

“I can’t, Ardeth, I am afraid.” 

“Afraid of what?” he came and sat next to her, taking her hand and stroking it. 

“I am afraid, I am afraid it will find me. It followed me to Cairo, but the waters of the Nile have protected me, I will no longer have them as a shield once I step on land.” 

“I will protect you,” he said simply, “Anything that might hurt you will have to come through me. You’ll feel better back in your home, I promise. Come.” He stood and held out his hand, she took it, feeling comfort in the strength of his touch. 

The O’Connells were waiting for them by the gangplank. They led the way and she followed with Ardeth, still wishing that she could remain on board the ship. She cast back one look of longing, suppressing the urge to run back and lock herself in her cabin. 

Rick hailed a cab, one of the many drivers Roma knew well. The driver drove quickly to the house and deposited them with their baggage, then sped off to find a new fare. 

Evelyn remarked at the beauty of the house, its pink stucco exterior shaded by giant palms so old that no one knew when they were planted. Roma, however, saw it differently, this was the last place she had seen her father alive. So strong was the feeling that as she stepped inside, her urge to cry became so powerful that she could not fight it and threw herself onto a sofa and burst into tears. 

Samir, her major-domo came in, anxious to see what was wrong with his mistress. Ardeth curtly ordered him to prepare tea and have the luggage removed to the missy's room and the other guests. Samir bowed, and with a look of concern at Roma, obeyed the stern-faced Med-Jai. 

Evelyn sat next to her and held her hand, “My dear, I am so sorry for your loss. We did not think of the painful memories you might have here.” 

“I am sorry, I hoped that when I came back the reminiscences would be happier. I grew up in this house and spent many happy hours here. My father entertained all sorts of people, including Howard Carter’s tutor Flinders Petrie, and Ardeth’s father. This is where I learned to be an archaeologist.” She shook her head and wiped away the tears still welling in her eyes. "This is the last place I saw him, I said goodbye and expected to see him in Cairo." 

Samir appeared, bearing the tea tray. He set it down on the table in front of the sofa and poured tea for the four of them then left, bowing as he exited the room. 

Ardeth sat next to Roma and she leaned her head in gratitude against his strong shoulder. “So, what do you want to do?” he asked her in a gentle voice. 

“I don’t know, it’s too hard to think. Evelyn, when are you supposed to meet with Carter?” Roma’s mind took refuge in business as if that would drive the unpleasant memories. 

“Let’s see, I have a letter,” Evelyn dug around in her bag, “Here it is, I am to report to him in a week if it is convenient. I did not how long it would take us to make arrangements to get Alex in school and arrange for transportation to Luxor.” 

“What will you be doing for him?” 

"Well, I'm to help catalog and sort the artifacts as they're removed. I understand that a lot of this is being done on-site, he's using tombs as his laboratories and to develop the photos that are being taken as articles are removed from the tomb." 

“You won’t be assisting in the removal of artifacts from the tomb itself?” 

“No, alas, but just to assist him is an honor. There is nothing like this in the history of Egypt. Intact tombs have been found before, but never a pharaoh’s tomb. This will give me credentials that will open all sorts of doors, maybe even the opportunity to dig in Egypt myself.” 

Roma could appreciate this, being her father's daughter provided her the opportunity to conduct digs on her own. She was the youngest archaeologist excavating on her own in Egypt, and she knew that without her father’s influence it would not be possible. 

“If I am not to report to Carter for a week, then would we not have the time to visit the tomb you found?” there was a sly insinuation in Evelyn’s voice, “Once I begin my work for Carter there will be little opportunity to slip away. I do so wish to see it, what you have described sounds fascinating.” 

“NO!” said Ardeth and Rick simultaneously, “Don’t even think about it, Evelyn,” said Rick. “You can’t get there on your own, you’ll need help finding it and where will it come from?” 

"Sandstorm season is starting," Ardeth pointed out, "It's dangerous. You can't do this by yourselves. To set out now and on your own without either O'Connell or me to guide you would be folly." 

“And it is obvious that we will receive help from neither of you,” Evelyn words were cutting and to the point. “Sandstorms, a lack of guides, and no equipment will make it all but impossible, you say. Does it not occur to you that we could obtain these things on our own?” 

“You would not be safe on your own,” Ardeth repeated, “Your guide may seem trustworthy, but what if he abandoned you in a sandstorm? What if he took your camels and your equipment in the middle of the night? How would you find your way there, let alone be able to return home without coming to harm?” 

“I can use a compass, Ardeth, and besides, I have made already made the journey. I can ask my diggers who would be the most trustworthy to guide us there and back.” Roma shook her head, “Evelyn, he does have a point, it is sandstorm season now, I want to avoid those at all costs. Maybe now is not the right time.” 

“Don’t you want to find out who killed your father?" asked Ardeth, “You cannot do that if you are wandering in the desert. You have your father’s map, you said you wanted to see if there is anything buried in caches in the valley. You have plenty you can do without leaving Luxor.” 

“Perhaps you are right, Ardeth,” she sighed and looked up to see Samir announcing dinner. The subject was closed for now. 

After dinner Roma was tired, it had been a long five days. Exhaustion overcame her and she excused herself and retired to her bedroom and was asleep before Ardeth joined her. 

Evelyn was tired but her mind was reeling with thoughts and possibilities that made sleep all but impossible. First and foremost on her mind was the tomb and how she could possibly arrange to see it before she began her work for Carter. That Roma was afraid to return to the tomb was painfully obvious but without her help finding it would be impossible. The weather had already grown uncomfortable warm, soon it would be too hot to even attempt the trip until the cold weather came. 

She poured herself a glass of cognac and stared out through the narrow windows that were designed to let in a minimum of light and keep as much of the heat out as possible. The night now was deliciously cool but in the morning the temperature would begin the rise and the weather would become unbearably hot. In such temperatures, it would be folly to venture out into the desert. 

But when would she have the opportunity? The tomb and its purpose had become an obsession. Sometimes discoveries like this would become hidden by sandstorms and floods from the annual rains. The entrance to the tomb might become concealed by sand and rubble, making it impossible to find and become lost to posterity. 

“Are you still up?” Evelyn looked up to see Roma wrapped in her robe. “Yes, I’m afraid so, I can’t sleep thinking about that tomb.” 

Roma poured herself a glass of cognac and topped off Evelyn's. "I found I could only sleep so much, I'm awake now and thought a glass of cognac might help me sleep." She took a sip and gave a contented sigh, "Perhaps I should not have told you about that tomb." 

“Oh, but I’m glad you did! Such a unique discovery ought to be shared. I just wish there were a way we could find it; such an unusual tomb must have been for someone important.” 

“Yes, but you’re facing an important task. I heard that Lord Carnarvon died from a septic mosquito bite. He was the one who used to handle the press, Carter is no good at it. You’re pretty, attractive, well educated, and an up and coming archaeologist, Carter will use you to handle the press, I’m sure. They’ll likely be less hostile to a pretty face and when they find out how smart you are, they’ll be respectful in their dealings with you.” 

“Now that I know about your tomb, I wish I hadn’t taken that job. Maybe we could convince the men to take us out to the desert so we could examine it. You have the necessary photographic equipment to take pictures of the inside. We could bring some workers and digging equipment in case we need it. We could travel at night and set up tents for shelter during the day.” 

“Evelyn, I think it’s too soon. I’m convinced that something followed me back from there and I’m not sure that it’s left. There is something evil that hides in there. Maybe it should just be left alone. I wouldn’t want to go there again without a magus or an Iman to drive out whatever might be dwelling there.” 

This was not what Evelyn wanted to hear. “I’m sure that if you give yourself time these fears will fade and the importance of what you discovered will take their place.” 

“I cannot go without Ardeth, he will remember the location better than I could. Face it we can’t do this without Rick and Ardeth’s help and we won’t get it. There is not enough money or fame to entice me back out into that desert. Let someone else find it, all I want is to stay away.” She drained her glass, “Good night, I’ll see you in the morning.” 

Evelyn smiled wanly as she sipped from her glass. This was not the end of it, she was determined to find that tomb and somehow, she would find a way.


	13. Awakenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heat of the Egyptian has come, altering plans for many. Roma bears it, as those who live in Egypt must, but she falls victim to a mysterious fever that causes her to have visions. When she wakens she has new revelations about the mysterious tomb

The heat was becoming unbearable. Even the thick walls of the villa could not keep the heat of the Egyptian sun from penetrating to the inside. The servants would set out bowls of water to increase the humidity to cool the room but with little effect. The Egyptian summer would have to be endured. 

Even Carter could not continue his work in the summer heat, it was too hot for the workers, too hot for the photographers and archaeologists who were working with him. He was forced to install an iron gate and employed guards day and night to make sure no one had access to Tutankhamen's tomb. 

Any thought of exploration had been abandoned. Evelyn grudgingly agreed that perhaps it would be best to postpone any digging in the Valley until the weather cooled. Roma felt a sense of relief knowing that she had won a reprieve from making any decisions about re-visiting the tomb. 

Because of the heat and close quarters, she and Ardeth could find themselves at odds with each other, arguing over nothing then apologizing as quickly as the argument began. When the hot weather ended, life would return to normal and tempers would cool. 

But Ardeth kept one thing from her, he did not tell her that she had developed a pale look he did not like. Her skin was usually tanned from the effects of the Egyptian sun, but now she seemed wan and sickly. 

There was one thing she took comfort in, the apparition from the tomb which followed her to Cairo seemed to have disappeared. Perhaps relinquishing the jewels to the museum caused it to vanish. If any curse had been attached to them, she was sure it was gone, but the horror of what she had experienced preyed on her mind. Let it forget about me, she thought, let it forget that I exist, let it go back to the desert from whence it came. And for a while, it seemed her prayers had been answered...until. 

Every night felt hot, but this night seemed hotter than the others, and Roma was finding sleep impossible. She looked resentfully at Ardeth who had grown up sleeping in tents in the desert and could sleep anytime, anywhere. She turned over, kicking at the sheets they had discarded, then finally, exhaustion sent her into a restless sleep filled with uneasy dreams. 

She found herself back in the desert, wandering barefoot in sand no longer hot but comfortably warm under her feet. The night was a canopy of stars but something felt wrong, Constellations seemed inverted and corrupted, their stars jumbled and out of place. This was not right, the Egyptians believed in order and consistency, not chaos. 

An animal ran in front of her, something she had never seen before and hoped she would never see again. It possessed the long ears of a fennec fox, only the snout was long and curved, unlike anything that dwelt in the desert. Then the sand began to ripple, the tell-tale sign of a sandstorm; a wind she could not feel began churning up the sand and it swirled around, obliterating the night sky. 

Through the clouds and the dust devils she could see something approaching, something that looked vaguely familiar, like a nightmare she had before but forgotten. It came closer and closer, a tall, thin, figure robed all in black, only this time she could see the face that had been hidden before. The curved snout, the tall rectangular ears, the was sceptre that he held in one hand, the ankh in the other told her who stood in front of her. 

It was Set himself, prideful and bragging, "I am lord of the Red Lands, the storms, strife, and the protector of warriors. You trespassed in my servant's tomb and now I will make you pay." He raised his sceptre, a ray of light, burning bright shot out and struck her and she felt like she was burning up. 

In the morning, Ardeth could not rouse her. She was hot to the touch and helpless as a baby, unable to move or speak. Soon she was in the grip of a raging fever and became delirious, speaking to her absent father, often speaking in French to her long-dead mother. 

Roma's illness brought an end to any ideas Evelyn had of making a trek to the tomb, but she showed her mettle as she summoned the doctor, describing Roma's symptoms to him and sent a servant to the apothecary to fetch her medicines. 

"What did he say?" Ardeth inquired when the doctor left, he would have nothing to do with the Anglo doctor and would have preferred an Arab physician, or, even better, a healer from his tribe. 

"A delayed reaction to the sun, or the heat, possibly combined with dealing with the shock of her father's death. He's prescribed something to lower her fever and laudanum to help her relax. Don't worry, Ardeth," she put a reassuring hand on his arm, "Go sit with her, it will make her feel better even though she's not aware you're there. The doctor said that she has passed the critical stage, she will wake soon and it will comfort her to be able to see you." 

Ardeth sat by her bed, bathing her forehead with cool water. "Wake up, Roma," he told her, "Please open your eyes so I know that you are all right." 

Roma lay in her bed, the room seeming to swirl about, making her dizzy when she tried to focus. Her mother sat next to her bedside, "Don't worry my little Minou," she said in her beautiful French, "You will be all right." She wrung out a cloth and placed it on her forehead, "Go to sleep," she whispered and began to hum a lullaby. 

"Roma, stop this nonsense, you know your mother is dead," her father, clad in his best linen suit sat in a chair next to her, "You're just using this to avoid making a decision—will you go to the desert or not? You need to make up your mind. And you won't find anything in that tomb except darkness." 

The room grew darker and her father's image faded with it. She was alone, surrounded by blackness now and her head ached unbearably. She tried to open her mouth to speak but no words would come out. 

"Can't anyone hear me?" She lay helpless, trying to see in the darkness for she was afraid now of being alone. "Am I dying, am I dead? Is this the end of my life--I haven't even begun to live it." 

A humming noise, like the buzz of bees, coming out of the darkness, then she recognized the rattle of sistrums. Softly spoken words broke the stillness, not spoken but chanted, and as her vision returned, she thought she could see a procession forming, like in her dream in the desert. 

A woman with the head of a lioness led white-clad priestesses who sang in rhythm and shook their instruments with every step. The lioness' head slowly transformed to that of a beautiful cold-faced woman who held in her hands a bowl made of blue glass. 

Sekhmet, the goddess of healing, stood before her. The goddess looked at her as if making up her mind, then handed her the bowl. "Drink," she said in a gruff voice that sounded only vaguely human. 

Roma drank the bitter contents of the bowl and when she had drained it, the apparitions disappeared and she opened her eyes to see Ardeth holding her hand. 

"Are you real?" she asked and he kissed her hand. 

"Yes, I am," he told her and left the room, calling, "Evelyn, she's awake, she's awake." 

Evelyn rushed into the room and put a hand on her forehead, "Your fever's broken, how do you feel?" 

"Like I've been burned alive from the inside out. What happened to me? How long have I been like this?" She tried to sit up but Evelyn pushed her gently down onto the pillows. 

"Two, almost three days," Ardeth answered, he carried a tray with a glass of water and a cup of tea. "We had almost given up hope, your fever was dangerously high but the doctor said you'd passed the crisis stage and you would be all right." 

"I'll leave you two," said Evelyn and smiled at Ardeth, "Let me know when you feel like eating, I'll have the cook fix something." 

"Drink," commanded Ardeth and held the glass of water to her lips, she tried to push it away, but he insisted and she drank half the glass of water, thinking that nothing had ever tasted so refreshing. She finished the other half and picked up the cup of tea. 

"Ardeth, bring that map we found of the valley, and the one of Upper and Lower Egypt—it should be in my father's study." 

"You can look at them later..." he started to say, then saw the look on her face. "I'll go get them." He disappeared, then returned, the maps in his hand. 

She took them, spreading them out on the bed. "Look," she commanded, "Every cash my father marked is on the way to Deir El Medina." She traced the patterns of the tiny "x's". The thieves must have come from the workers' village. Those caches must be close to three thousand years old! How did the Father know where to dig? I'm sure many of them were emptied long ago, people have been digging in the valley forever. Rick will have his work cut out for him if he's serious about treasure hunting." 

She set the map aside and looked at the route they had taken to Minya. "There's something about this tomb that is bothering me. Why so much attention to carving the walls but leave the ceiling unfinished? I heard from a worker that the only painted wall in Tutankhamen's tomb is in the room containing his sarcophagus. There should have been a map of the night sky and excerpts from the Book of the Dead to guide him on his journey." 

Ardeth shrugged. "I don't know." 

"Why didn't he want anyone to know who he was? It's not like the cult of Set died off, he still had temples in Upper Egypt, I know of one for sure in Kom Ombo. It's just that he was rather out of fashion, and had been replaced by the god Horus—gods in Egypt sometimes tended to come and go." 

She pointed to a place on the map, "Here's where I think we found the tomb. Why would he have chosen an out of the way place, unless he didn't want to be found? "I think whoever this was died prematurely and his tomb was not completed. He also was a father; the two young boys must be his sons, that's the only clue to his identity. I think I remember a carving of his consort Nephthys on the wall, maybe she represented his wife. 

Remember how the sun shone directly on the carving of Set like he was given life from its rays. The tomb would have been sealed but that's where the sun would have hit every afternoon. She sat back and rubbed her forehead; she was developing a tremendous headache. 

"Are you all right?" he asked. 

"Just a headache, but I can't stop until I reach the end of my train of thought! This person must have been important, but he didn't want to be found after his death, that's why they buried him in the middle of the night. Maybe he had enemies because he had the Pharaoh's favor? This tomb is important, Ardeth, I can feel it. It needs to be recorded and then gated to keep vandals out." 

She sat up, took his hand, "I need to go back to Cairo, and search the papyruses in the museum. If I can guess who his Pharaoh was, I can maybe discover his identity." She started to say more but slumped down in her bed, grasping at her pillow. "Oh, my head," she said softly. 

Ardeth removed the maps, "When are you going to learn you are not invincible, Roma? You have been this way since you were a little girl." 

"And you're just as stuffy and self-righteous as you always were. My head hurts, I need something for it. And send in Evelyn, I'm going to let her know that when the cold weather returns, we need to take a trip up the Nile to try to find that tomb."


	14. The Screaming Mummy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boredom can prove useful. Roma has been pouring through books looking for a clue to the identity of the mysterious tomb. Finally, she thinks she has solved the riddle. It is, or might be, the tomb of Pentaweret who killed his father Ramesses III in the infamous "Harem Conspiracy". To find out for sure she and Evelyn need to go to Cairo to check out the papyrus that records the incident and try to get a look at the infamous mummy who might be Pentaweret himself. (BTW, they did DNA testing on the mummy and it is a son of Ramesses III. Don't ya just love science?)

The moral of this chapter is if you're writing a Mummy story and you get blocked as far as ideas go, simply go back to ancient history and you'll find inspiration. I did, anyway.

“I’ve got it, Pentaweret, it’s been staring me in the face all along! Pentaweret of course!” Roma called out and began to laugh and laugh.

Evelyn opened the door to her bedroom to see what the fuss was about. Roma had been confined to bed until the headache and fever that had plagued her went away, and out of boredom, she had been consulting the pile of books on her bed that grew by the day. She had poured through books, searching for something that eluded her and must have found it at last.

“What have you found?” she asked, thinking, by the look of enthusiasm on Roma’s face, that it must be something of significance. Roma’s illness had hampered her the first few days of her confinement, but now that she was better her days had been spent reading from the vast library the Wilkes-Emberlys kept in their home.

“I know who it is,” she said, the excitement plain in her voice, “I mean, who the tomb belonged to,” she explained, “It’s Pentaweret, the son of Ramesses III—the one who murdered him. It’s his tomb, it has to be.”

This piqued Evelyn’s interest, a papyrus had been discovered, that told about the legendary Harem Conspiracy to murder Ramesses III by his secondary queen Tiiy to put her son Pentaweret on the throne. The murder plot had been successful but the court had not rallied around Pentaweret so Ramesses IV, the designated heir, had succeeded his father.

“I wonder why they even bothered,” Evelyn said, “Ramesses had been on the throne for thirty-two years, he wouldn’t have lived that much longer, they could have tried to stage a coup then.”

“He’d been a good pharaoh, or good enough,” added Roma thoughtfully, “He was the last great pharaoh of Egypt, the last to hold the country together, after that the country went downhill. Ramesses IV didn’t live long, neither did Ramesses V, Ramesses VI built a tomb in the Valley but he was the last one to do so.”

“What does that have to do with Pentaweret?” Evelyn asked, her interest obvious.

“They may have found his mummy, the one they called the “Screaming Mummy”, in the cache in Amenhotep II’s tomb. After the trial, Pentaweret was allowed to kill himself, but they didn’t mummify his corpse or remove his internal organs or embalm it with natron, they bandaged it then wrapped it in a sheepskin which the Egyptians considered unclean.”  
“But if the tomb was the carved the way you said it was, it must have been prepared beforehand, before the conspiracy was even planned or carried out.”

“Yesss, that is true, that is the part that I cannot explain. I do know that he was a priest of the Set cult, but that may or may not have anything to do with it. This may explain the lack of any writing on the tomb wall and the omission of names. They wanted to make sure he wasn’t remembered, or his wife or his children.”

“They must have buried his body in secret. There’s evidence that there were grave goods, and some of them must have been quite valuable, hence the robbing of the tomb sometime in antiquity. Someone must have known about his tomb for his corpse to be moved to the mummy cache, but who?”

“And the tomb lay forgotten all this time until you and Ardeth found it,” Evelyn said in a thoughtful voice, “I wonder how many centuries it’s lain open.”

“Or why none of the Bedouin told the archaeologists about it? They can be a good source of information because they know the desert. There are tombs in the cliffs that were used over time, but nothing like this. The carvings are exquisite and detailed, this is a tomb intended for a pharaoh's son or someone of importance, but why in the middle of the desert, he could have had a tomb prepared in the Valley of the Kings or at least the Valley of the Queens or the Nobles.”

“We have to return to that tomb,” Evelyn said, her voice full of enthusiasm, “If we can claim its discovery…”

“Our reputations will be made,” finished Roma, “But first, I want to go to Cairo and check out that papyrus, I’m sure someone will let us see it. And I want to see that mummy, but it may prove difficult to get permission. We will have to find out if the tomb has been mapped, if it hasn’t, Lacau may permit us to mount an expedition when the cold weather returns. 

"Are you still afraid?" asked Evelyn, despite some unpleasant experiences her curiosity tended to overcome a sense of caution. She was eager to see the tomb, but she was not sure if Roma shared her enthusiasm.

“Yes, yes I am,” Roma confessed, “But this is an opportunity we cannot pass up. I cannot let my fear guide my actions. I need to do this for myself.”

Rick O’Connell was less than enthused when Evelyn announced that she and Roma intended to the desert to try to locate the tomb. They were in possession of what probably amounted to a treasure map and he was hoping to find some long-lost Pharaonic jewels that he could sell the museum for ready cash, plus a couple less valuable pieces to bring home as souvenirs.

Ardeth did not care about treasure, but he did not want Roma to return to the tomb, knowing what had happened before. Therefore he became a willing ally with Rick to try to dissuade the girls from the plans they were hatching.

That night he tried to make Roma see reason. “You can’t go to Cairo,” he tried to be persuasive, knowing that he could not flat out refuse her permission. “You’ve just recovered from your fever, you need to take it easy for a while.”

“I’ve taken it easy or over a week,” she fumed, “And I may have discovered something important but I won’t know until I check out that papyrus. And,” she added, “I need to see that mummy. I may have made an important discovery, something that has never been credited to a woman before. We won’t be gone that long, Evie and I will spend a couple of days in the Cairo house, I’m sure it’s been cleaned up by now. The only thing that will take a long time will be the boat ride.”

“Remember what happened to your house in Cairo? And your nightmare? It is not safe for you to do this, you don’t know what will happen.”

“I had a Coptic priest bless the house, and an imam exorcise the spirit, surely that would be enough to drive out anything that was left. And now I have a strong young man, not an elderly gatekeeper, who I pay well to guard the housel—that should take care of intruders. No matter what you say, Ardeth, I am going and you will not succeed if you try to stop me.”

Ardeth sighed, this woman drove him to distraction but his love for her made him willing to tolerate her whims. "All right, Roma, but I am going with you and I think O'Connell is not willing to let Evelyn make the journey without him. Sometimes I think my father is right, you should have been married young and started a family so would not have time then for these hair-brained schemes."

Rick was unwilling to let Evelyn make the trip alone so Roma booked two cabins on the next boat to Cairo. She would rather have made the trip without the men tagging along but it could not be avoided, and if something did happen having them along might prove handy.

In Cairo, it was proving easier to obtain permission to examine the papyrus than it was to see the mummy. Even her father's name was not readily opening the door she had expected it to. Neither did her reputation as the youngest archaeologist and a woman at that, to supervise an excavation in Egypt have the results she desired.

The “Screaming Mummy” was being kept from the public’s eyes because it was considered too horrible for the “gentler sex” to lay eyes on. This was ironic, she thought, for the mutilated mummy of Seqnen-Re II had been put on display, but he had the distinction of being responsible for driving the Hyksos out of Egypt thought it cost him his life.  
The papyrus had been another matter. It had been brought out for them almost immediately, although at eighteen feet long there was way too much for them to examine in the time they had. Instead, they had concentrated on the trial and the fate that had befallen the conspirators—all sixty-two of them, as well as the fate of the prince.  
“This is dreadful,” said Evelyn in a soft voice, “And all for nothing in the end. How in the world did a minor wife think she’d get her son on the throne?”  
“If he’d been smart he would not have listened to his mother. I wonder what happened to her? There were other members of the harem involved in this but they only say what happened to the men!" She bit at her thumbnail, "Evie, we have got to get a look at that mummy—but how? The only way I can see is to talk to Lacau himself."  
“Well, maybe he could be persuaded, look at what you brought him! I’ve heard that the jewels you found are going to be given a special display case, you’ve brought him something quite valuable. Until Carter finishes clearing Tutankhamen’s tomb you’ve provided him with the most valuable exhibition in Egyptian history. And who knows what else there might be if your father…oh my dear, I’m sorry,” she said as she saw tears welling in Roma’s eyes.  
“It’s all right, we were very close and I miss him horribly, he would be thrilled if he knew what I’d found. Let’s find Lacau’s secretary, I am determined to see that mummy. Lacau’s a Frenchman, maybe I can charm him into allowing us a peek at the damn thing.”

It had taken some persuading and no little amount of argument. The troubles Lacau was having with Howard Carter had left him in a perpetually bad mood these days and any favors asked of him were generally refused. Archaeologists had become a necessary evil, but they were petulant, sneaky, and demanding and he was tired of dealing with them.

Roma guessed this and used her softest, most persuasive voice. And she did not hesitate to point out that she had brought the museum a set of valuable artifacts, ones that might have been lost to the black market had she not taken possession of them. She put to good use her soft blond curls, along with the deep blue eyes she had inherited from mother and all the feminine wiles she could conjure.

In the end, Lacau was not immune to her charms and granted her wish. He would accompany her and her friend, he said, this mummy was not like the others and extra care was being taken.

Neither she nor Evelyn was prepared for the sight of what lay before them. The man was young, but his corpse had been treated most cruelly. The moniker "Screaming Mummy" was apt, for his mouth was wide open, revealing his teeth which had survived twenty-five centuries. And the smell was horrible, not the usual sweet smell from being treated with oils and unguents, but the foul smell of the dead.

There was still wool present on the sheepskin his mummy had been wrapped in. Everything had been done to assure that he would not see the afterlife that Egyptians looked forward to but his soul was condemned to wander in purgatory for eternity.

“Do you have any idea who it might be?” she asked Lacau and he shook his head. “No, nothing but speculation, even that he might be an Asiatic prince who died in Egypt.”  
“We have a theory,” Evelyn told him, not waiting for Roma, “We think he might be Pentaweret, the prince who assassinated Ramesses III.”

The look on the Frenchman’s face was priceless, “Indeed, and what has led you to think that?”

“Have you done any Carbon 14 dating on him yet? If the dating is close enough, our theory might prove to be correct. Look at how the body was treated, that says that this person committed some grave crime and what could be worse than killing a pharaoh? I think I’ve located his tomb, it’s in the middle of the desert far from the Valley of the Kings. There are carvings on the wall but no names or any hieroglyphs, just the bottom half of a plain basalt sarcophagus.” Roma looked at him, hope in her eyes.

“We’d like to find out if the tomb has been mapped or if it’s undiscovered, then we’d like to get permission to excavate it.” Evelyn was keeping her voice even, but only with difficulty.

“Between the mummy, the papyrus, and the tomb I think we’ve made an important discovery. Please let me have it, don’t give it to someone else. Evelyn and I are just as educated as any male archaeologist, we deserve this. Please Monsieur Lacau, give us a chance to prove ourselves, for my father’s sake if nothing else.”

For those of you reading this, in case you haven't noticed, I've done a lot of research. In writing this story, of course, I've mixed fact with fiction, but I'm trying to archaeology and Stephen Sommer's Mummy series justice! Please kudos or comment or both--I've worked very hard on this story


	15. Back to the Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roma and Evelyn obtain their concession to excavate the tomb Roma found. The men won't be pleased but are they ever? Roma remembers a trove of books her father kept hidden on Egyptian magic that she hopes holds the key to destroy whatever is hiding in the tomb

“We did it!” said Roma, “We did it,” echoed Evelyn and they looked again at the papers that contained the terms of the concession to dig in the desert where Roma and Ardeth discovered the tomb. They shook hands and practically skipped out of Pierre Lacau’s office.

“I want to see the mummy,” Roma said, “He’s on display in the mummy room. I’ve seen him but I want another look at him, I want to know who our enemy is. Will you come with me?”

Evelyn nodded, “I’ve seen him before, but that was before they knew who he was. I always felt sorry for him and wondered why he’d been treated so shabbily.”

“He deserved it,” said Roma grimly, “He murdered his father for the throne—I always wondered why he didn’t kill the crown prince too, maybe he was afraid.”

The mood in the mummy room was solemn. They walked past the kings and queens of Egypt until they came to the case that held Pentaweret’s pitiful looking mummy.

“I want to burn it,” said Roma in a quiet voice, “I think he called up something dark, maybe Set himself, to protect him, but all that happened was he escaped a worse punishment by hanging himself.”

“Maybe we will be the ones who put an end to him. Whatever it is, we will find a way to banish it, you must have faith that we can do it.”

“They won’t be happy,” Roma told Evelyn as they sat in the back of a cab, “Your husband wants to go treasure hunting in the Valley of the Kings. Ardeth doesn’t want me to go back but what we found is too important not to excavate. No one knew the location of Pentaweret’s last resting place, and now we can offer proof that he was buried in his own tomb before his mummy was placed in the cache.”

“We’re going to need diggers, tools, lamps, cameras, as well as supplies. Are you sure you can afford this?” Evelyn asked.

“Oh yes, this is going to be fairly economical as far as an excavation goes. We won’t be wasting a lot of time looking for something when we already know where it is. It will just be a matter of clearing the tomb to see if there are any more hidden artifacts and mapping the area around it. We may find more tombs, who knows? That whole area is a big unknown, it’s been neglected by archaeologists for a long time—and now it’s ours!”

“Roma,” Evelyn’s voice had a hesitant tone and she knew what was coming, “How are we going to persuade Rick and Ardeth? I know they won’t be pleased when they hear what we plan to do." 

“Ardeth has no say in this and he knows it, he will come with me because he won’t want me to go alone. You will have to convince Rick because we will need protection that the diggers cannot give us.”

“You’re not married dear, I don’t like arguing with Rick, but I do want to go with you.”

“What would happen if you went with me anyway? He may get mad but surely he’ll get over it?”

They had their answers over dinner. 

“No,” said Ardeth, “You’re not going back to that tomb.”

“Forget it, Evelyn,” said Rick, “You’re not going into the middle of the desert on your own, that’s bandit country.”

"If Roma is going, then so am I," said Evelyn, and Rick knew that defiant tone well, “It’s not like we’re going unprepared and without knowing where we are going.”

“We’re going to be better supplied this time, I can arrange to have water and supplies ferried across the Nile,” Roma summoned her most convincing arguments, “I’m going to bring a Land Rover and several camels, and I’m going to bring diggers who’ve worked with Father and me. Rick, Ardeth and I grew up in Egypt and we can look after Evelyn. You may as well say "yes" Rick because I intend to go and if she wants to come with me, she can." 

“This is the chance for Evelyn and me to make a name for ourselves, we've found something that no one else knew existed. When we're finished, we'll write a paper and submit it to the Sorbonne, and if they accept it I'll earn my doctorate and a full professorship. Evelyn will earn some much-needed credentials and it will open doors for her. Women are not taken seriously in this field, this will force them to recognize us—at last.”

“Ardeth,” Roma finished, “Short of tying me to the bed there is no way you can prevent me from going. I know you don’t like that tomb, neither do I, but this is something I want to do, no I need to do. I’d feel better if you came with me, I’ll feel much safer. Please say you’ll come.” 

Ardeth had grown up with her, he knew when he was defeated. Rick, on the other hand, would take some convincing, but from the look in Evelyn's eyes, Roma knew that they had won.

The logistics of any excavation were almost overwhelming in their scope. Diggers, tools, tents, food, water, transportation, all had to be obtained and made ready by the departure date. Fortunately, they could obtain what they needed in Luxor, so it was not necessary to haul supplies from Cairo.

Roma closed the Cairo house and gave last-minute instructions to the servants. She, Ardeth, Rick, and Evelyn then boarded the ship which would return them to Luxor.

It was a more solemn voyage for Roma this time. Evelyn’s enthusiasm could be contagious, but the magnitude of her decision weighed heavily on Roma’s mind.

Ardeth found her at the rail, smoking a cigarette. He came to her side and took it from her hand, inhaled deeply, then flicked it over the side.

“You don’t have to do this,” he told her, “We can tell the O’Connells how to find the tomb, then return to Luxor or Cairo, whichever you wish. I know you, Roma, I know you’re afraid, I’m afraid, too. We don’t know what this thing is.”

“You may be right, Ardeth. I don’t know what this thing is. I’ve seen the forms it can take but I don’t know what it is. I can’t leave the O’Connells to deal with it by themselves, I don’t know if Evelyn understands just what she’s dealing with. I think it’s returned to the tomb, which could be its power center.” She put her arms around him, holding him close, “I’m afraid but I don’t want to let it get the better of me. It’s evil, and I want to take it out of this world.”

“I will help you all I can,” murmured Ardeth, “but you have no idea what you are doing. Do you have a plan?”

“No, I don’t, I haven’t dealt with the spirit world before. The tomb robbers didn’t destroy his mummy, why did they leave it? I read somewhere that the spirits of suicides never rest, maybe he has always been there. Why didn’t the priests destroy his body in the first place? Was it because he was a son of the pharaoh? Did they think that the way he was mummified and wrapped with the sheepskin would keep his spirit from continuing on to the afterlife? Why didn’t they destroy him once and for all?”

“Those are questions I can’t answer,” replied Ardeth.

" I know a place to start. Father has a collection of books I’ve never seen, books about Egyptian magic. I hate magic, I’ve never delved deeply into it—but Father did. I may find my answer there.”

“Magic scares me, Ardeth, but Father wasn’t so bothered by it. I think his attitude towards it was too casual. Now I’ve got to read those books and see if there is a way to drive away a spirit, or, better still, destroy it. It followed us all the way back to Luxor, even though we crossed the water. I've got to find a way to exorcise it in terms it understands. I wish I could get into the Egyptian Museum and steal that mummy and destroy it."

“Tell me, Roma,” he said, “How do you kill a god?”

“You can’t, but you can kill his servant. Pentaweret was the servant of Set, maybe if we can destroy his spirit, we can stop the curse. But would killing him be enough, he was only one of many in the Harem Conspiracy?”

Roma’s sense of dread increased when they stepped off the ship and took a taxi to the Luxor house. She paused on the threshold, hesitant at first to step in, but the house had a clean and wholesome feeling, not a trace remained of the fear and foreboding that she had fled.

“I am all right,” she said to Ardeth, noting the look of concern on his face, “The house has been cleansed, all we have to do now is make sure that we don’t let any evil back in.”

She sat in her office and went through the mail that had piled up since her exit. Nothing of importance, a letter confirming the possession of her concession to dig in the desert tombs, and one that stabbed at her heart: a letter informing her that no trace had been found of her father's assailants, although the case had not yet been closed.

The tears came unbidden, how had her father died? Nothing had been found but she was sure now that no items of value to a thief had been contained in the load her father intended to take back to Cairo. The true treasure had been with her and Ardeth. Who then had attacked a helpless old man for nothing?

She opened the desk drawer and felt along the surface for the key she knew had been taped there. Her fingers found it and she drew it out. Crossing over to the bookcase she pressed a button underneath one of the shelves and it swung open, revealing a hidden door.

The key fit in the lock and she turned it, taking hold of the edge she opened the hidden cabinet that held her father’s collection of books of magic of every known civilization that had existed in the ancient world. Some were in Greek or Arabic, but she set those aside, what she was interested in were written in hieratic, with notes her father had translated in English. 

Her preference was to investigate the Egyptian, but she knew Evelyn did not know Greek. Therefore, she made two stacks, the volumes in Greek went into one, and those in ancient Egyptian want into another. She scooped up the books and came into the living room where Rick, Ardeth, and Evelyn had been talking softly amongst themselves.

“Evelyn, you are able to translate hieratic, yes? I need you to go through these books and see if there are any spells that deal with vanquishing the dead. I will go through the Greek translations. It is said that the Greeks gathered all the knowledge of the ancient Egyptians and placed them in the Library of Alexandria. The scrolls these books are based on had been stolen before the library burned. The books in hieratic were put into book form by Coptic monks during the Middle Ages, no one knows what happened to the scrolls.”

“What are we looking for?” asked Evelyn.

“We are looking for a way to destroy the spirit that has been brought back to life. I believe the spirit of Pentaweret is haunting his tomb, and furthermore has learned how to transport his spirit. If we could destroy his mummy that would put an end to it, but we can’t, so we must find another way to stop to him. If we can’t destroy him, we must find a way to banish him from this earth, he’s too dangerous.”

FYI: I looked up the Mummy movie from the 1932 article on Wikipedia and found that in some ways Sommers was pretty faithful to the movie. However, "Ardeth Bey" was the name that the mummy used when he was brought back to life. And he wanted to resurrect Princess Anck-su-namen and needed a mortal woman to do it. Outside of the core plot, the rest is Sommer's imagination, and we are glad that he created something so wonderful!


	16. Sifting the Sands of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dig has begun in earnest. Trucks have been obtained, workers have been hired, and they are all ferried across the Nile to the West Valley. The party drives into the late afternoon and finds the location of the tomb. Then begins the real work, unloading the trucks, setting up the workers camp, and most importantly, the cook tent.
> 
> That night Roma has the old nightmare which has not bothered her since Luxor. For a moment she thinks she sees the figure in the shadows, but tells herself it was only a dream.
> 
> The next day the excavation begins and while Roma is clearing the entrance, Evelyn finds something, something valuable and what's more, may give a clue to whom the tomb belongs

Evelyn admired the apparent ease with which Roma was able to organize the dig, wondering if she had learned how to from years spent working with her father. To her, the logistics seemed almost overwhelming, but preparations were going well, diggers had been recruited from Luxor, water trucks were being ferried to the west banks of the Nile to provide fresh water for the workers for drinking and cooking. Camels had been acquired for short trips and a Land Rover chosen for her, Rick, and Ardeth to travel in. 

"You don't seem intimidated by this," she told Roma, "I wouldn't even know where to begin." 

"I've done it so many times. Father thought me such a good organizer that he depended on me to get the digs set up. We've worked with the same diggers for years; I know I can depend on Mohammed to keep things organized. I couldn't do this without him. I learned so much from Father but I never thought I would have to do it on my own." 

A bus had been acquired for the transport of the workers and a Land Rover for her, Rick, and Ardeth to travel in. "I ought to travel with the workers," Roma fretted but Ardeth insisted that she ride with him and the O'Connell's. They would travel faster going by automobile, and the Land Rover performed well in the desert. They would reach the tomb before the others and decide how the camp would be set up, finding locations for the kitchens, the workers' tents, and the myriad little things that went with an archaeological dig. 

The great ferries made deep rumbling noises as they transported the expedition's vehicles over the Nile. The buses, lorries, and Land Rover drove out of the bowels of the ship when they landed at the Valley of the Kings then began the journey northwards towards Radari near where Ardeth and Roma had discovered the entrance to the tomb. 

Rick wanted to drive, but Roma had taken the wheel, not just looking for the location of the tomb, but feeling for it. The going was much faster in the vehicles but she still remembered every inch of the way that she and Ardeth had traveled by camel. 

Around noon she brought her vehicle to a halt. "There," she pointed out, "You cannot see it at first, but once you spot it, you'll not miss it again." She put on her sunglasses and stepped out of the vehicle, and began to walk towards the cliff, Rick, Evelyn, and Ardeth following in her footsteps. 

"There," she said and pointed to an opening in the red sandstone cliffs. Ardeth came and stood behind her, his strong arms encircling her slender waist. "I thought I'd never see this place again," Roma breathed. 

Evelyn stepped out of the Land Rover and walked towards the opening, fascinated. "Evelyn, wait," said Rick and got out of the car, but his wife ignored him. 

"Evelyn, come back," said Roma but she ignored her and continued until she stood in front of the opening to the tomb. Just as she would put a foot inside, Roma hurried to her side and pulled her back. 

"Not yet, Evelyn," she said and turned her away from the tomb, "Wait until the sun begins to set and there will be something you will want to see." 

Reluctantly, Evelyn allowed Roma to lead her away from the tomb, but not without a look of longing at the black hole in the cliffs. This was what she had come to see, after all, and waiting to see it now seemed agony. 

She admired the way Roma and Mohammed set up the camp, seeming to find few obstacles. With Rick's help, the workman's tents were assembled, as was a cooking tent and a station to sieve the sand and debris that would be dug. Rick and Ardeth chose few men with strong arms and temperaments and assigned them to act as security for the camp. 

Their tents were placed where the least amount of sun would strike them during the day. There was no place in this desert free from exposure to the sun, but at different times one place might be freer from its rays. 

A pavilion was set up, open to anyone who wished to take shelter under its roof. The two couples sat and drank gin and tonic, except for Ardeth who would drink only tea or water. It had been a tiring day, but the sun was starting to set and the workers could be heard singing in front of their tents, enjoying these last hours of freedom before the work of excavation began. 

Roma picked up two electric torches and handed one to Evelyn. "Now you will see what you needed to wait for, this is a surprise that is worth it. Come." She led Evelyn towards the opening in the cliff and entered the tomb. 

Evelyn looked in amazement. Instead of being dark as she expected, the corridor was lit by the light of the setting sun, the rays beaming directly upon a carving of Set situated at the very end. 

The carving covered most of the wall and the sun's ray hitting it made it seemed to glow in the dying sunlight. Evelyn walked slowly toward it, reaching out a finger to touch the delicate lines only the pull back her hand. To touch it now seemed liked heresy. 

"I've started to think that perhaps this carving was to represent Penteweret in the likeness of the god Set," mused Roma, "I think he must have had enemies and was afraid that his grave would be desecrated so he chose to hide it here. It makes me wonder how long he and his mother plotted to assassinate Rameses III, this tomb was never finished but they may have started when he was a young boy. I wonder if he would have built a tomb in the Valley if he succeeded." 

"Queen Tiye must have been very sure of herself to take such a risk. I wonder why she didn't kill the heir, too, that would have made sense. I always wondered what happened to her." 

"There's no record of her fate but I would not but surprised if she was burned at the stake. That was the punishment for unfaithful wives and you can hardly be more unfaithful than murdering your husband." Roma snapped her lantern off. "We should go, I smell food cooking and Ardeth's look is telling me he's ready to go back. I want another drink before dinner, and maybe another one after." 

They went back to the camp where the workmen had built a fire and sang the praises of the great lady who would help them find rich discoveries and had offered to pay them so well. Two of them were performing dances that Evelyn had seen in an Egyptian nightclub, only the belly dancers had not danced so gracefully or so well as this. 

Roma slept the sleep of the exhausted, but her dreams were uneasy and disturbing. The figure was back, taunting her, "You are in my country now," it said, "There is nothing here to protect you. 

She opened her eyes and sat up, certain for a moment that it was standing in the corner of the tent, waking Ardeth. 

"What is wrong?" he asked, "Were you having a nightmare? Has this place brought back bad memories?" He put his bare arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him as if he would protect her." 

"Maybe we shouldn't have come back, Ardeth, or maybe I am still afraid. I wish I had that reckless courage that Evelyn possesses. I pulled her back this afternoon because I was afraid, not because I wanted her to wait so she could see the shaft when the sun set." 

Rick and Evelyn slept the sleep of the dead if the dead truly sleep. She, anyway, experienced no nightmares or uneasiness and woke refreshed in the morning. 

There were still traces of dark blue in the pink morning sky, and the sun was not yet fully risen when the camp came to life. Smells of onions, lamb, eggs, and spices filled the air as the men emerged from their tents, ready to eat then start their day. 

Rick, Ardeth, and the men they'd chosen began to patrol the perimeter of the camp, keeping an eye out for bandits, or rogue archaeologists who might try to claim their concession. Roma and Evelyn entered the tomb, now well-lit with torches and electric lights as the photographer sought the best angles to photograph the tomb walls. Outside the tomb entrance, two workers began sifting sand that had been removed from the tomb, searching for even the tiniest particles that might be important pieces of evidence. 

"We've got to clear the floor; lord knows how many centuries of sand and dirt may be covering it," said Roma, "I don't see evidence of flash flooding, no concretions, no gravel, just sand blown in from the desert. Did you notice how strange the structure of this tomb is? Just the entrance shaft then a right turn to the main room, that's all. Princes and nobles didn't have the elaborate tombs of the Pharaohs, but this is still strange." 

"What I don't understand," said Evelyn, "Is the complete absence of hieroglyphs. Not for the owner of the tomb, or even for members of the family. In one sense, this tomb is well thought out, but there were never any hieroglyphs carved on the wall—if there had been and they'd been removed we'd see signs of chipping." 

"Or covering, like that coffin and mummy found in Queen Tiy's tomb," Roma replied, "All we know is that he wasn't mummified and may have been found in the coffin he was put in. But how did his mummy and coffin find its way to the cache? I'm sure someone put him here, even if it had to be done in secret. Who was responsible, was it a wife? All I've found so far is a handful of beads and a few ushabtis, but someone could have loved him enough to see that his mummy was brought here, even with the goatskin wrapped around it." 

The workmen were scooping up the sand and putting it in baskets to be sifted to reveal whatever treasures might be hidden. The sand, deeper than expected, was placed in baskets and a brigade passed it from digger to digger until it reached the sifting station outside of the tomb. So far, nothing had been found, but Roma intended to clear the floor from the outside in and nothing was likely to be found in the corridor. 

Evelyn had set her task, she was clearing the sand around the sarcophagus to see if anything could be found. There was a chance, she told herself, that perhaps a piece of jewelry, or something, might be found that tomb robbers had dropped. She was already finding pieces of pottery shards and although there were no markings to be found. If the robbers had been disturbed it was more than likely that they would have dropped pieces from their haul. 

The diggers that Roma had assigned to help her patiently carried away baskets of sand to be sifted. She was taking a shortcut, although she knew better, but the lidless sarcophagus was too tempting. She would clear an area to the floor around it, hoping to find artifacts that remained hidden in the depths of the sand. 

It was tiring work, the sand must be cleared first with a trowel, then brushes used to remove the remnants that the trowel could not reach. She did not know what the sifters had found, but already she had found a broken blue faience ushabti, so she knew that her suspicions might be correct. 

Penteweret might have murdered his father, but that did not mean he was unloved. He must have had wives and children who mourned for him in secret. Perhaps one of his wives had helped to have his body removed to this tomb where he could at least rest for eternity, despite the curses the priests had placed on him. And maybe some of his belongings had been transported in secret and placed in the tomb in the hopes that they would be useful in his afterlife. 

The tip of her trowel struck something, perhaps nothing more than a stone or another potsherd, but Evelyn switched to her brush just in case. Carefully now, with brush and fingers, she began the painstaking task of smoothing away the sand from whatever it was she had found. 

The worker behind her could see it too and he pointed his lamp so that the beam shone directly on the object and both could see the gleaming that the sand had originally hidden. 

Evelyn was excited now and threw away all caution and good sense. She began to dig the object out with her fingers and soon revealed a squarish object which she gently cleaned with her camel hair brush. 

When she realized what she had discovered she called for Roma. "Roma!" she cried, "Come here, come here, you must see this!" 

Roma came running, careless of the workers and equipment. "What is it, Evie, what have you found?" 

Evelyn handed it to her, a triumphant smile on her face, "I've found something that should not have been here, I think." 

It was a two-inch square pectoral of solid gold, engraved with the cartouches of Rameses III. She was right, mused Roma, it should not have been there. Penteweret's mother had likely been executed so it may have been placed there by a sister or wife. 

"Oh Evie," Roma breathed, "We'll probably not find anything else like this. The robbers would have cursed themselves if they'd known what they dropped. It looks like they left in a hurry, I wonder why? Did someone disturb them, or did something frighten them? Either way, this is the most valuable find from this tomb. Congratulations! I know it's early, but I think we deserve a drink."


	17. Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, at last. Sorry so late

I want to apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but it was rather hard to see what was going to happen than procrastinating. I don’t outline my stories but write as it comes to me and my characters weren’t giving me a whole lot of help. Nor was watching “The Mummy” or the National Geographic episodes I recorded on my DVR. Thank you for your patience. 

Roma drew a handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped the pectoral carefully then placed it in her pocket. “Come,” she told Evelyn, called Mohammed and said something to him in her fluent Arabic. 

“He’ll keep the workers away for us and let us know if they find anything. In the meantime, I think we deserve that drink. We can have a better look at it in daylight. 

The pavilion provided scant relief from the desert sun, yet its shade seemed like a refuge. Roma mixed two excellent gin and tonics then sat down, handing one to Evelyn. She then took a deep drink of hers before pulling the pectoral out of her pocket. 

“Look,” she said, “It says ‘Ramesses Heqaiunu’, the throne name of Ramesses III and on the other side,” she flipped it over, “Usermaatre Meriamun, his ‘maat’ name. How did this end up in his Penteweret’s tomb?” 

“Maybe it was a gift from when he was a boy?” suggested Evelyn, “I wonder how much secrecy surrounded this tomb? It took so long to carve them, decorate them, even one that was simple like this one would have been at least ten years in the making. 

“Someone must have been looking after his interests, maybe even before the Harem Conspiracy. I wonder how long his mother had been making plans? She must have known the price they’d pay if their plans failed. She took such a risk...” 

“And paid such an awful price,” finished Evelyn, “Just think, they succeed in killing Ramesses only to find themselves with no allies and there were several people who were involved—I've read the papyrus, my teacher assigned it for practice reading hieroglyphics and hieratic.” 

“I always wondered if she had a backup plan in case things went awry, like someone helping her escape so she could go into hiding. It would be an awful fate for the wife of a pharaoh, even a secondary one, but it would be better than what she knew she must face. Once caught, she would have known her fate was sealed.” 

“Yes, that would be a comedown for a wife of a living god,” said Evelyn in a wry voice, “But if it were me, I’d rather escape than face execution, for I’m sure that’s what her fate would have been.” 

Rick and Ardeth came into the pavilion for water and a break from the sun. Rick’s eyes lit up when he saw the gold pectoral and he took it from Roma’s hand, saying, “Say, what’s this? How much will this fetch in the antiquities market?” 

She took the pendant back. “It would fetch a lot, if it were to be sold, but it’s not. Everything I find is being handed over to the Egyptian government. We’ll receive our ten percent recompense. This dig is not being done for profit, but for the sake of discovery. Evelyn and I will share publishing rights, but the government gets any finds we discover.” 

“Too bad,” said Rick. He handed the pendant back to Roma. “What are the chances you’ll find anything else?” 

She shrugged her shoulders. “We should not even have found that, but this has given me an idea. We need to clear the tomb floor. Sometimes these tombs have shafts that go down 40 feet or more. I’m wondering if any family was buried here. Maybe we can find a burial that hasn’t been disturbed. The tomb is only one chamber, but it’s large. We don’t know what we’ll find beneath the sand covering the floor until we clear it.” 

“Maybe more coffins?” suggested Evelyn, “maybe this was intended to be a family burial. He probably had at least one wife, maybe more. If we find royal burials, undisturbed, we may find them intact. That may mean gilded coffins and grave goods, valuable grave goods. The Egyptians would love that.” 

“You people,” said Ardeth, “Digging up the bodies of the dead, why not let them lie?” 

“Because if we don’t, looters will,” Roma replied, “We’ve found one disturbed burial, and look what the thieves left behind! Why shouldn’t Egypt have the artifacts instead of their being sold on the black market and lost to Egypt forever? I had more than one professor say that we are racing the tomb robbers and too often losing.” 

He lay his brown hand on hers, “I see your point. These things are of no value to my people, but they are a part of our history. We just think there are things that are more important—like water.” 

“Water is more important, but finding artifacts tells the story of the pharaohs. Well, the diggers are off at one o’clock, maybe we can do a little surreptitious digging once they are gone? We only have a short time to excavate and if there shafts to be discovered, I’d like to find them before our permit is up!” 

The idea was simple. Mohammed and a digger he trusted would remain behind after their companions left for the day. If there were shafts to be found, Roma guessed that they would be in the back part of the tomb away from the sarcophagus. They would attempt to clear a section, then if nothing were found would on to another if they had the time. 

Roma walked around then set out parameters. “Here, this is where we will dig. This would be easier if we’d already cleared the floor I don’t want to wait. The more I think about it, the surer I am that we will find a shaft. It’s not uncommon in tombs like this. Just think what it would be like to discover Pentaweret’s family! 

The going was hot and uncomfortable. During the day the tomb was uncomfortably hot and humid, it was not until night that it would cool off. Ardeth helped Mohammed carry basketfuls of sand to be dumped at the entrance. The workers could sift it the next day. 

Ali, the boy who stayed behind, helped with the sand clearing—his sensitive fingers proving adept at wielding the brushes. Evelyn was using her hands, sure that if there were anything to be found she could retrieve it as they labored to clear the floor while Rick was grumbling that they could have left this for the workers to do the next day. 

Roma worked behind Evelyn, brushing away the sand she removed with her fingers. She was almost in agreement with Rick, a gin and tonic sounded tempting, anything to get away from the heat and humidity of the tomb. Perhaps this could have waited and was only folly and impatience on her part. She could smell food being prepared, perhaps it was time to call a halt to this nonsense and pick it up the next day. 

Until Evelyn found her arm encased in sand. “I’ve found something,” she cried triumphantly, “This goes deeper than the floor, I’m sure of it. Roma, I think we’ve found the shaft.” 

All of them pitched in now to sweep the sand away. It was a clumsy job, but at last they uncovered what could be an almost four feet wide entrance, filled to the brim with sand. 

Rick whistled and Ardeth put an arm on her shoulders. “Have we found it?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Roma breathed, “This is a shaft, I knew there might be one. I don’t know how deep it is, we won’t know until we empty it and that may take a few days. We won’t even know if it was disturbed until it’s cleared. We’ll have to get a ladder and ropes, hopefully what is down there can be pulled up.” 

“What’s in it?” Rick asked. 

“Anything, maybe nothing, but if it’s undisturbed there may be a burial. This could have been disturbed in antiquity when they robbed the tomb, but it may have been overlooked. Sometimes they put grave goods in pottery jars, other items will be hidden in the coffin. 

“We’ll have to split the diggers into two crews now, one to clear the tomb floor and another to clear this shaft. I’ll offer a bonus to the diggers who reach the shaft floor, and sweeten it if they find grave goods. This tomb will make us famous, Evelyn, I am sure of it.” 

“Well, I think we should halt,” said Rick, “I don’t think we can clear the shaft tonight, better that we should get dinner and a good night’s sleep then tackle it in the morning when the workers arrive.” 

It was only with great reluctance that Roma allowed herself to be led away. She was pensive and uncommunicative, even for her, during dinner and their after-dinner cocktails. Even Ardeth could not draw her out of her mood and left her alone. 

In the middle of the night, she went to the O’Connell’s tent and woke Evelyn. “Evie, come with me, I want to look at the tomb.” Clad only in night gowns and shawls they made their way to the tomb, their only light a lantern Roma held in her hand. 

The few bats that lived there had left at dusk. The heat of the tomb had dissipated somewhat and the air was comfortably cooler than it had been during the day. They walked the perimeter, the lantern casting eerie shadows, examining the carvings, searching in vain for even a few hieroglyphs that might give them a clue to solving the secret of the tomb. 

They stood at the edge of the shaft, its outline on the floor ringed by sand. “Something’s in there, Evie,” Roma said, “I can feel it. I’m afraid though, you know, Ardeth and I disturbed something once and it followed me to Cairo. Now I’m afraid of releasing something else. I feel like something is waiting for me...” 

“Don’t do that to yourself,” said the practical Evelyn, “Don’t fear something that might not be there.” 

“But Rick told me what happened, how you woke the ghost of Imhotep. How do I know that we might release something just as bad or maybe worse?’ 

“You’re an archaeologist, how far would you get if you were afraid to open every tomb? I’m sure that whatever was here is gone now. You’ll feel better tomorrow when the workers start clearing.” Evelyn led her back to her tent so that she could get some sleep, sure that Roma was just experiencing a case of nerves. 

It was taking forever, thought Roma as she watched the workers haul basket after basket of sand out of the shaft. They had dug down twelve feet and now were using a ladder, but were not even close to reaching the bottom. So eager was she to clear the contents that she had allowed the workers only a brief break for lunch before they returned to their work. 

Evelyn was supervising the sifting but had found nothing, just a few chips of rock that must have been left after construction. If she had hoped they’d find something she was disappointed, but this was the first day of examining the shaft. 

They let the workers leave early after a grueling day of removing sand from the shaft. Roma watched as the last worker left the tomb then sighed. 

“Twelve feet, twelve feet is all we could manage and nothing, coffins have been found at less than that. I need a drink,” she pouted, not bothering to hide her frustration. 

Ardeth took her arm, “You need to drink some of your nasty gin, maybe that will improve your mood. The diggers worked hard today, clearing that shaft must not be easy work.” 

“Yes, Roma, we all need a drink. You’re too impatient, that’s all.” Evelyn was the cheerful one, as always, thought Roma, feeling irritated though she did not really understand why. 

The next day the diggers did not fare much better, although they managed to clear another twenty feet of sand. One of the diggers took over after Evelyn had an overdose of sun. She was not badly burned but the heat had driven her to seek the shelter of the pavilion. And the sifting had yielded nothing. 

Day three: the diggers cleared another twenty feet of sand and this time their efforts yielded something. Even as they dumped the sand into baskets, pottery shards began to appear in the sand removed by the workers. 

Roma, Evelyn, and Mohammed huddled together. “Egyptian pottery,” Roma pronounced, it looks like a jar to hold grave goods. I can’t believe it!” 

“Tomorrow for sure,” said Evelyn, “We’ll find something, I’m sure of it, if only it’s not been disturbed.” 

“The workers are getting uneasy,” Mohammed told them, “There are some that are saying this tomb is cursed, they are leaving and are asking for their wages. 

“If they’re that foolish, let them have them, but they must make their own way home.” Roma scoffed, “And tell the others there will be double for those who stay to complete the work. We’re on the verge of a breakthrough, I can feel it. There’s a coffin down there, I know there is. Just wait until we find the bottom, they’ll wish they had stayed.”


	18. An Uncrowned Queen?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The workmen have cleared the shaft and it is ready for Roma and Evie to examine. What they find is no less than wonderful, there is a large wooden coffin and by the weight it may contain another coffin inside.

Roma rolled over and reached for Ardeth, only to find his side of the bed empty. She looked at the alarm clock she kept on a table next to her cot and realized it was seven o’clock. 

She sat bolt upright, wondering why he had let her sleep for so long? The workman had begun their shift at four a.m., they’d been at work for almost three hours now and she needed to know how their work on clearing the shaft was progressing. 

“Ah, you’re awake, I’ve been checking on you. Did you sleep well?” Ardeth flashed his white teeth in a smile and she wondered what he was up to. 

“Why did you let me sleep so long? I need to know what the workmen have found! You know I make sure I am up when they are, I’ve even missed breakfast.” 

He sat on the bed and put his hand on her leg. “Are you not aware you were up and down all night. I have never known you to sleep walk but I had to take you back to your bed three times.” 

She grabbed her khakis and shook them, a habit that a desert dweller knows, insects hide in the folds of clothes and inside shoes, any dark, hidden place. She reached for the rest which lay bunched at the foot of the bed and pulled them on angrily. “You should not have let me sleep so long,” she said again and stormed out of the tent. 

The sight that met her eyes revealed why he had kept her in the tent so long—the workers’ bus was missing. She turned and gave him an angry stare. “Where is the bus?” she demanded. 

“Rick is taking the workers back to their villages. They would die before they reached home, so I gave them their wages, and O’Connell is driving them back to their villages. You have the right to fire them but not to send them to their deaths.” 

“Who says I wanted to kill them? I wanted them to know they’d accepted a job and I expected them to fulfill their obligations. Now we’re short of workers with a shaft to clear and a tomb to excavate. Do we have enough workers to divide them into two teams?” 

“You’re asking for my opinion? I’m not the archaeologist, my love, isn’t the shaft your priority for now?” He rubbed her shoulders, attempting to soothe her ill-temper. 

“You should have asked me,” she said, her feathers still ruffled but the mention of the shaft reminded her she wanted to see how the work had progressed. “Let’s go to the tomb, I have a feeling we’re going to find something today,” she said, not looking to see if he followed her.   
The men were talking excitedly in the tomb. They had cleared most of the shaft, down to a dept of almost thirty feet, and had found something they did not expect. A bricked-up opening, almost the height of a man, certainly large enough to admit an Egyptians in pharaonic times. Best of all, the bricks look like they had not been disturbed, and though there was no sign of a seal. 

A rope ladder had been attached to the ladder to make up the difference. Roma could not wait and climbed down to see for herself. The men held a lantern, allowing her to see the crude mud bricks that blocked the opening. She ran a slender hand over the rough surface of the crude wall. “Clear as much sand as you can from the floor, but you don’t need to get all of it. We need a pry bar and maybe a hammer if the mortar is stubborn. We’ll bring up the bricks as we remove them, I want this opening clear.” 

She climbed up the ladders and found Evelyn and Ardeth waiting for her. “Yes!” she said, allowing herself to express her excitement and took Evelyn’s hands. “We did it,” her voice was full of jubilation. 

“I told you,” said Evelyn, “I knew we’d find something, all we had to do was be willing to look. And nothing has happened to us, there is nothing to fear, Roma. What we find down there might make us rich, or famous.” 

“If it hasn’t been looted, though I must admit those bricks look like they haven’t been disturbed in centuries. We’ll give the men a break and something to eat. I haven’t eaten yet today and I’m famished. Evelyn, when will Rick be back? We might need his help breaking down the wall.” 

“He won’t be back until late afternoon, or maybe this evening, but I don’t want to wait that long to open the entrance.” 

“Me either, Evie, so we won’t. We have the workmen if we need help. There will only be room for two of us at a time, so you and I can take turns.” Roma paused, “How do we determine who goes down the shaft first?” 

“It’s your tomb, you found it, you have first turn,” Evie said with a generosity she did not feel, “You’ll have first look but when the door is cleared, I’ll be there. I’ll send the workman up the ladder and you can come down and we’ll enter it together.” 

“If there’s something to enter, that is,” mused Roma, “That’s what I love about excavating, you never know what you’ll find. Even a disappointment can have its surprises. I’m hoping we’ll find a chamber and a sarcophagus and maybe even a coffin.” 

Neither woman had much appetite for lunch but forced themselves to eat. Finally, Roma pushed herself away from the table, “Ready?” she asked. 

“Ready,” Evie replied. 

Ardeth got up from the table, saying, “You are not doing this alone. If you are determined to disturb the dead, I want to be there in case something happens. We have already had one unpleasant surprise from this tomb, I don’t know if I can protect you from another but I will try. I think this is folly, Roma, you have discovered something, why not leave it at that?” 

“What would be the fun in that?” said Evie. Though she counted Ardeth a friend, she was indignant at his response. “Of course, we must see what we have found, anything we find must be removed from the tomb so looters don’t get it. We are restoring Egypt’s treasures to her, nothing more, nothing less.” 

Ardeth shook his head as he followed them out of the tent. His feet seemed to drag as he made his reluctant way to the tomb. 

The workmen had been clearing as much sand as they could out of the shaft. A prybar lay waiting on the floor to loosen and remove the bricks. Above, a winch with a long rope with a basket at the end was being lowered down to the shaft floor. 

A workman poked his head out of the shaft. “Be careful, miss,” he told Roma, “The ladder is secure but it is very tricksy. The shaft is shorter than it seems but it is a long climb down. May Allah protect you.” 

Roma nodded and secured a miner’s lamp around her forehead. The workman’s warning had been unnecessary, but in spite of the spot of light at the bottom, the shaft seemed dark and intimidating. She put on a pair of leather gloves to protect her hands and began the precarious descent down the ladder. 

When she reached the rope its stability seemed doubtful, but it surprised her and held secure. She made her way down, one foot at a time until she reached safe and solid footing at the bottom. 

“Welcome, miss,” said Omar and held out a hand to assist her. “Look,” he said and swept the beam of the lantern around the floor, “I can start removing the bricks for you.” She nodded, hardly able to hold in her excitement. 

She watched as Omar picked up the prybar then jabbed at the mud mortar holding a brick and watched with satisfaction as the bar pushed through. They looked at each other and smiled, then Omar began gently chipping away at the mortar, loosening one brick at a time, then handing it to Roma. She put each brick in the basket, waiting eagerly for him to remove enough for her to be able to look into the opening. 

The basket full, she tugged on the rope and watched as it made its way up to the surface. “Let’s remove more, we can set them in the corner and bring them up later.” 

“Yes, miss,” Omar could feel her excitement and his anticipation matched her own. He’d been a trusted digger for her father and for him the work never grew old. They removed enough bricks to leave an opening wide enough for her to get a good view. 

She adjusted the lamp on her forward and shone its beam in to hole. She grabbed hold of Omar’s arm, “A passage! I can’t see where it leads or how big it is. I must let Evie have her turn now—I'll send down the basket for the bricks. I’ll be back when we can get into the passage and see where it goes.” 

The climb up the ladder to the surface seemed to take forever, when she left the rope and started ascending the wooden ladder, she made better progress but had to be careful. Once she got to the top, she grabbed Evie by the arms. 

“It looks like a passage, and a passage must leave to somewhere. When there is enough room for us to climb in, I’ll join you. We’ve discovered something important; it may even be an undisturbed burial. A great deal of work was put into this tomb, I wonder what secrets it holds?” 

Roma watched as Evie descended into the shaft. She wanted to be there, but she must not be selfish and deprive Evie of the excitement she had just experienced, so she sat on the ground and tried to be patient. She drank the warm mint tea Ali brought her but kept looking down into the hole as if she could see what was going on thirty feet below. 

The sun grew higher in the sky but she would not seek the shelter of the pavilion and put a hat to shelter her from the rays of the sun. She peered again into the shaft, then heard a faint voice calling her name. 

Omar’s head appeared over the shaft at last, “Go down there miss,” he said, “Miss Evie is waiting for you, we have cleared the door.” 

She hurried down the ladder, disregarding safety. She could hear Evie’s voice now, calling her and she jumped down the last few feet in her impatience. 

Evie held up a lantern, “Look, Roma, look what we have found, it’s a passage! Come on,” she said and hurried down the rough-hewn passage. 

Roma did not hesitate. Omar had left a lantern and she held it up, looking at the walls. Exactly like the tomb, she thought, carved but not finished but there’s no sign the walls were ever finished. Evie’s lantern disappeared and she heard her voice, eerily distorted by the walls, “I’ve found it! I’ve found it!” 

Evie stood in the entrance and took her hand, “Look,” she said, “Look what we’ve found!” she could not keep the excitement out of her voice. 

Roma knelt on the ground, there was a large coffin, or perhaps a sarcophagus, of wood carved in the mummiform shape. The decoration was not elaborate but a woman’s face had been painted on the outside, along with two long arms with hands clutching ankhs, the symbol of lie. But no name. 

“We have to bring it to the surface but I don’t know how fragile it is. I’ll go up and get Omar, we can slide a sheet of wood underneath and wrap it in muslin.” 

“Let’s open it now, just to see if there is anything inside.” 

“Evie! You know how fragile it must be, we must wait until we get it to the museum laboratory in Cairo so we can open it in a controlled climate. Remember what happened it Tiy’s tomb? They opened the coffin they found lying there and both the coffin and the mummy disintegrated. I don’t want all this work to be in vain, we’ve worked so hard.” 

“You’re right, of course, we don’t want anything to happen, this is far too precious. We’ve come too far. This find is spectacular. We’ll get the coffin out and then explore the chamber. I can’t believe how lucky we are, there are archaeologists who dig for years and never find anything like it.” 

She sent Evie up to the surface, then Omar and another digger came down. She led them to the chamber and Omar let out a slow whistle. 

“Yes,” she grinned, “This is truly amazing. I am dying to know if there is a coffin inside this one, and who it is. We need to put a sheet of wood beneath it and wrap it in muslin. It’s amazingly dry in here, it may have preserved the coffin.” 

Omar peered closely, “Acacia wood, it was local. If it has not been destroyed by insects, and I see no trace, we may be able to move it. 

A sheet of plywood and a bundle of muslin was lowered to them, and they placed both coffin and plywood on the muslin, then wrapped it carefully and fastened it with ropes so it could be hauled to the surface. They decided they would follow the bundle on its way up to make sure it was handled gently. 

The three lifted their precious bundle and the weightiness let them know there might be a coffin inside, In her excitement Roma took a careless step backward, hearing a loud crunch. She looked down and to her horror found that she had stepped on a human skeleton!


	19. The Lost Bones

“Oh my god,” Roma said, then repeated, “Oh my god. Skeletons!” She dropped to her knees and shone the lantern around the chamber, “Three skulls, I don’t see any more.” She set the lantern on the floor then picked up a skull and examined it in the light. “This one’s male, see the ridge on the brow?” She looked carefully at the other two, “All three are males, but I can’t tell how old they might be until we bring them up and take them to the lab.” 

“They must have been tomb robbers,” said Evie but Roma shook her head. 

“They can’t be. They were trapped behind the door and the shaft was filled. I think they were workers that were shut into the tomb to ensure their silence—forever. I wonder if someone killed them or if they were buried alive.” 

“I hope they weren’t buried alive,” she paused, “Let’s get the sarcophagus to the surface, and then we can dig up the skeletons.” The practical side of Evie bubbled to the surface under pressure. 

“Yes,” said Roma absently, unable to take her eyes from the skeletons. “I want to excavate these and make sure we don’t get the bones mixed up.” She reluctantly left the skeletons, even though they now held more fascination than the sarcophagus. 

They took great care as they wrapped the sarcophagus in cotton sheeting and secured it with ropes. A second winch was added to keep it as stable as they could as they slowly raised it from the shaft. Roma and Omar, along with Evie and another workman, placed themselves in strategic places on the ladders to stop their prize from swinging wildly back and forth as they raised it to the surface. 

Up, up, and up went the sarcophagus as the men slowly pulled on the ropes. Every so often one of the four would reach out a hand to steady it when it began to swing back and forth. Then the sarcophagus slowly resumed its journey to the surface as if a ghostly unseen hand was pulling it. 

They scrambled up the ladder, eager to be there when it reached the surface. At last, the bundle came into view and they lifted the sarcophagus and removed it, stripping off the sheeting and ropes they were able to see the fine details of the decoration painted on the lid of the coffin.

“Get it into the pavilion, for now. We can't get it to Cairo until tomorrow--Evelyn, when did you say Rick would be back?” Roma rubbed the small of her back. 

Evelyn glanced down at her watch, “Well, it should be any time now, he left before you woke up. Sorry,” adding the implication that she had been part of the scheme was unspoken. 

“I’m tired, it feels like I’ve had a long day but I need to get back down into the shaft and excavate the skeletons. Oh, how I wish all this were over. Are you coming with me, Evelyn?” 

“No, I want to examine the sarcophagus. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to remove the lid; don’t you want to see what’s inside?” 

“Well, yes, but we shouldn’t, not really, I need to get back down the shaft.” 

“Oh, come on,” urged Evie, “It won’t hurt to take a quick look. Those bones aren’t going anywhere.” 

Roma sighed, knowing she was defeated. She summoned the photographer who set up tripods and cameras to get the best angles. The pavilion provided enough light that he would be able to take pictures without artificial aids. The photographer took a few photographs, then stepped back, and Roma and Evelyn came forward to examine the sarcophagus. 

The wood was fragile but miraculously held together. There was no termite damage, no rotting as if the centuries in the sand had preserved it. Omar and Roma brushed the sand carefully from the surface, taking pains not to damage the centuries-old painted design. 

The photographer renewed his task once the sand was removed from the surface. It was too bad the photos would not be in color, but the artist she had brought from Oxford was talented and would catch the finer details that the camera would not reveal. 

“I’ve never seen one so beautiful, it’s intact, no cracking, no termite damage, being in the ground hasn’t seemed to affect it.” Evelyn touched it gingerly, surprised that the surface was as smooth as the day it had been put into the ground. 

“Are you sure you want to open it?” asked Roma, “We can leave it until we get to Cairo, I want to get those skeletons out of the shaft so I can look at the bones.” 

“Let’s open it,” Evelyn’s tone was decisive, “I’ve been waiting for this, if it’s so well-preserved on the outside, just think what might be inside. Roma, how can you resist?” 

“If it had come from any tomb but this one, I might share your enthusiasm. Evie, this tomb scares me. I know what I saw before, and I believe it followed me out of the desert. This tomb is evil, and everything it might have in it.” 

“Roma, you’re letting your imagination run away with you. It’s just a coffin, after all. It won’t hurt to open it, then after we’ve seen what’s inside, replace the lid.” Evelyn widened her eyes, seeming to say Roma was exercising caution to the point of excess. “Open it,” her wide-eyed look said, “You want to see what’s there as much as I do."

“We really should wait until we get to Cairo,” Roma started to say but she could not argue with Evelyn’s logic. She, too, wanted to see what was inside the coffin. The workers’ skeletons still lay in the shaft, neglected, and waiting for centuries to be unearthed. 

There was a temptation to Evelyn’s logic. It would be over a week before they reached Cairo and she, too, longed to see what was in the sarcophagus. The skeletons had lain in the shaft unnoticed for centuries, surely to let them remain there a little longer would do no harm. 

Roma’s guilt tore at her. The skeletons had lain so long and deserved more than to just be left neglected, but she looked at the sarcophagus with its smooth wood and notice the image of Nepthys, the vulture goddess, protector of the dead, below the woman’s face drawn on the coffin. The decorations still bore a trace of the gold leaf and a longing came over her to see what was inside. She traced the woman’s face drawn on the outside with her slender finger and made up her mind. 

“All right, we’ll do it, but afterward we will replace the lid and leave it alone until we get to the lab in Cairo,” she told Evie, “We’ll use sawhorses and boards to set it on and put the lid on the table. There should be verses from the Book of the Dead, or some hieroglyphs to say who owns it. 

Omar and Mohammed brought the sawhorses and boards and the coffin was moved carefully to the makeshift bench. “It’s heavy, miss,” said Omar, “There must be another coffin inside.” 

“That’s what I’m hoping for, Omar, I think the lid will come off easily, there doesn’t seem to be any pins or hinges.” 

Omar stood at one end, and Mohammed at another. Then, gingerly and very carefully, lifted the lid which came more easily than expected after nearly three millennia on the earth. The lid was placed carefully on the table, then all gathered round to take a look at what had been hidden. 

Evelyn drew in a deep breath and Roma placed her hands over her mouth saying, “Oh my,” for words failed her. 

Beneath a shroud of linen was a coffin heavily covered with gold leaf. As with the outer sarcophagus, an image of Nepthys, her wings spread out to protect the deceased lay beneath the representation of the dead. The tiny pieces of glass and semi-precious stones were still in place. A string of gilded hieroglyphics carved into the wood ran down the center of the coffin. 

“Sitamun-TaSherit, daughter of the king’s body. This is royal, Evie, but why the plain wood outer coffin? Gold was reserved for the pharaoh and royalty. This coffin has lain hidden for three thousand years, and we found it!” 

“Do you think she was married to Penteweret? After all, the royal family married brothers and sisters to keep the royal line pure. Do you think this is Penteweret’s wife?” 

“Let’s have a look at the inside of the lid of the outer coffin. If it’s royal there should be writing and we can confirm who she is. There should be a name and sacred spells to protect her mummy. Oh, Evie, we’ve found something and no one can take it away from us!” 

They turned the coffin lid on its side, delighted to find names and spells and a line from the Book of the Dead. “Sitamun-TaSherit,” read Evie, “Daughter of the King’s Body, Great Royal Wife.” 

“Wait, no way was she the ‘Great Royal Wife’, Penteweret was never crowned Pharaoh, but she’s identified as his wife. She was certainly a princess, otherwise, she wouldn’t have a coffin like this.” She paused, “I think we may have a royal mummy in here.” 

“Let’s take off the lid and see what’s inside,” urged Evie, “It couldn’t hurt to just lift the lid, could it?” 

“Out of the question, it’s not going to be as simple as lifting the lid. Look, there are pins on either side to fasten the lid to the coffin base. The coffin will have to be removed from the sarcophagus to open it. We need to wait and take it to the laboratory and let the lab technicians do it. This is something that can’t be done haphazardly. I can make arrangements for us to be there, but we can’t open it. We should not even have removed the lid of the sarcophagus, but we can replace it, and hopefully, no one will be the wiser.” 

“Oh, all right, have it your way then. I just think it’s a shame that we can’t have a glimpse to see whether or not there’s a mummy.”

“Believe me, there is one, the shroud on the coffin was undisturbed and that gives it away if nothing else. Rick warned me about you, I just didn’t believe him.” 

“Rick warned you about what?” there was a tone to Evelyn’s voice that let Roma know she was not pleased, and woe betide what might happen to Rick. 

“That you’re impulsive, that you act before you think. Your enthusiasm gets in the way of your using common sense...” She did not get to finish her sentence as a wind blew suddenly through the pavilion. 

“Sand storm,” said the knowledgeable Omar, “This is a bad time of year to dig.” 

Evie tossed and turned on her cot, unable to sleep. She could not help herself; she just could not stop thinking about the coffin. When Rick had returned the women had told him what they had found, that the wooden sarcophagus contained a royal coffin. Rick, along with Ardeth and Roma did not share her enthusiasm about opening the inner coffin. 

“Just think, there’s probably a royal mummy inside that hasn’t been disturbed!” but her words failed to persuade the other three. The coffin was not going to be opened, Rick had said in his no-nonsense voice and he and Roma began to make preparations to transport it to Cairo. 

Finally, she got up and threw a shawl over her shoulders. As she approached the tent, she was surprised to find the pavilion lit from within. 

She ran towards it, wondering if Roma had returned to make some final notes. As she stepped through the door, however, she noticed that it was lit by torches that had been set around the sarcophagus. 

A tall, thin, figure stood beside the sarcophagus with his back to her. “Hello,” she said tentatively and the figure turned around. 

One of the workers? It had to be but why was he not wearing a turban? His shaved head gleamed in the torchlight and he smiled with even, white teeth. He said something, but she could not understand, it was not the Arabic that Egyptians spoke, and then she realized that she was hearing a language that had not been spoken in over two millennia. 

Oh no, she thought. Her head began to spin and all was going black as she felt her knees buckle as she fainted and fell onto the cool desert sand.


	20. By Torchlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick wakes up in the middle of the night to find Evelyn. Ardeth and Roma hear a scream and rush to the pavilion to find Evelyn lying in the sand cold to the touch but alive. Evelyn lies comatose during the day but by evening wakes up, babbling in Egyptian (or so Roma believes) then falls into a dead faint. When she wakes up she can't remember what happened. It becomes evident that they need to get her away from the tomb so they decide to leave for Cairo that night.
> 
> please please read my story

Roma was having trouble sleeping even though she and Ardeth had made love. If she ever had trouble sleeping, Ardeth's embraces were usually the cure. Even if the cots weren't big enough for them to sleep together, his presence was reassuring and she felt safe and protected knowing he was there. 

Now, however, something was disturbing her sleep. She was dreaming of the skeletons in the shaft. She was looking down on them, the tears in her eyes full of pity. How could someone be so cruel as to murder men who did not more than take pride in the work they did for the son of the Pharaoh? 

As she stood and watched, the bones began to articulate and the skeletons began to take shape as each bone took its place. Then, to her horror, the skeletons stood up and flesh began to cover the bones. What were once merely skeletons were now men clad in ragged linen loincloths who held in their hands the ancient hammers and copper chisels that ancient stoneworkers used to carve the stone contained in everything from the pyramids to the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. 

They stood mute before her, voiceless, but their piercing eyes said everything that did not need words. She wanted to turn and run but stood there, frozen in place. These poor victims did not wish to harm her, they were trying to tell her something, but what? 

A scream woke her out of her dream, and she recognized the voice—Evelyn. She threw a gallabiyah over her, turned to wake Ardeth to find him already sitting up. 

"Evie," he said, and she nodded. He pulled on his robe and took her hand as they ran out of their tent to the pavilion that contained the sarcophagus. 

"Oh no," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "The pavilion, why is it lighted? Oh god, Ardeth, what has happened?" 

They went inside to see Rick with Evie in his arms. "I found her lying in the sand, for how long I don't know but her body is cold. We've got to get her warmed up. And where did those torches come from?" He pointed at the flickering forms that had now burned half down, "Did either of you do this?" 

"No, of course not. I thought she was in the tent with you, what happened?" Roma laid a hand on Evie's cheek, shocked to see how cold it was. 

"I thought I heard a scream," said Rick, "It sounded like Evie, but she was in bed, I thought. I looked over and saw her cot was empty and her shawl was missing. We all know there was only one place that she could have been, so I pulled on my clothes and came in here. I saw her lying in front of the sarcophagus, saw the torches, and wondered how they got there. I tried to wake her but I couldn't." 

"Take her to your tent, Rick, and put her to bed. Ardeth and I will bring some extra blankets." She looked at Evie then recoiled in horror, "Rick, look, her eyes—they're open! Was she like that when you found her?" 

"Well, yes, I thought she was awake at first but she's unconscious. Her eyes seemed to follow my movements so I thought she had fallen and hit her head and maybe she was only stunned. Now she doesn't respond to my voice, she didn't even snap out of it when I slapped her, she just follows me with her eyes." 

Though it was high summer in Egypt, blankets come in handy at times so Roma had brought a few along. They bundled Evie in them, tucking them securely around her. The heat from them would cause a normal person to become unbearably hot, but Evie's body seemed to warm so slowly as to be imperceptible. 

"I'd like to get some hot tea in her, but I don't know if she'd be able to drink it in her condition. In the morning we need to load up that sarcophagus and get it to Cairo, I don't want it in the camp. We need to take her along, too, if she doesn't come out of this." 

O'Connell looked down at his wife and Roma could see tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He took her hand and with a slow, gentle touch began to stroke it. 

Roma put her hand on his arm. "Don't worry, Rick, let's hope this is nothing Something probably frightened her and she fainted, the cold sand just aggravated the problem, that's all." 

"Then where did the torches come from?" he asked and Roma had no answer. 

"Let us pay the workers and leave this accursed place," said Ardeth, "And hope whatever it is does not follow us back to Cairo.' 

"I promised the skeletons I'd dig them up, once I free their bones I'll leave. In the meantime, if Evie isn't better, we've got to get her to a hospital. Either way, she leaves this site and doesn't come back." 

"For once I am going to make her listen to me," said Rick, "She's leaving here whether she wants to or not. 

There was nothing to do but eat breakfast and get back to work. Rick, however, would not leave Evie's side, but sat by her cot, watching while the faithful Ali fanned the flies away from her face. 

Roma went down into the shaft, feeling a fear she had not felt before. She took extra care excavating the skeletons, brushing each bone carefully as she placed them into muslin bags before having them hauled to the surface. Each skeleton was placed in its own bag before it was pulled to the surface in the hopes that each bone was not intermingled with the others. 

Wearily she pulled herself up the ladder and collapsed, exhausted as she reached the surface. What had happened with Evie had robbed her of the joy she had felt at the beginning of the excavation. Now she could only wonder if Evie had fallen victim to the spirit that haunted this tomb. 

Evie was half Egyptian--her mother had been an Egyptian who had fallen in love with her English father. While she had no proof, Roma wondered if Evie's Egyptian blood had attracted the spirit of Penteweret. 

Now they waited for Evie to regain consciousness, after that none of them knew what would happen. Would the spirit leave her alone or was he after another to take his queen's place? Had he chosen Evie to be his new queen of the damned? 

She sat at the table and examined each skeleton. Each man had had adequate nutrition but had spent his life working very hard. Their arms and shoulders were well developed, indications that they had been stone workers, perhaps the first evidence of what the workers had been like who had carved the tombs not only here but in the Valley of the Kings. 

She assembled each skeleton, making sure that only the proper bones were contained for each, then placed them in boxes to be sent to the labs at the museum in Cairo. 

It was around sunset when she heard screaming coming from the O'Connell's tent. She dropped what she was doing and ran to see what had happened to Evie. 

Evelyn was sitting up, her eyes wide with fear, but the expression on her face was not hers but another's. She was babbling in another language—was it ancient Egyptian? 

Roma tried to make sense of the words. Only two-thirds of the hieroglyphics of the Rosetta stone had been translated, and scholars could only guess at how it had sounded. What would they think if they could hear the words coming out of Evelyn's mouth? 

"What is she saying, Roma," begged Rick, "Can you understand?" 

"She's speaking so quickly that I can only guess. I think she's saying, 'Where am I? Who are you? Where is my husband, the king's son Penteweret?' I'm only guessing." She put a hand on Rick's arm as he tried to rush forward, "No, let her be, wait until she stops speaking, she may faint then come back to herself. Just don't touch her yet." 

Rick restrained himself but it was hard. As Roma said, when Evie finished speaking, she fell into a faint, then after a moment regained consciousness. 

"Wh-where am I? What am I doing here?" She tried to sit up but Roma pushed her gently down. 

"We found you unconscious in the pavilion this morning, lying in front of the sarcophagus. You have spent the day comatose, we tried to revive you but could not." Roma was reluctant to tell her next of what had followed but knew she must, "You regained consciousness but were not yourself. You were speaking ancient Egyptian, asking about your husband...Penteweret, then you fainted and after a few moments woke up. Do you remember anything?" 

"No, I remember going to bed and having horrible dreams but I don't know what they were about. The last thing I remember is waking up here. Roma, what happened to me?" 

"I know what I think, but it's hard to tell you. We have got to get you out of here, tonight if possible. I couldn't think why the spirit of the tomb was attracted to you until I remembered you are half Egyptian. I think it tried to transfer itself to you," she paused and took a deep breath, "I think Penteweret is trying to resurrect the spirit of his dead wife. We're taking the sarcophagus to Cairo, along with the other remains I found." 

"Oh dear," said Evelyn, and Rick thought, oh no. Once before Evelyn had almost been sacrificed to replace the long-lost love of Imhotep, now was another attempting to possess her? She had been so eager to explore this tomb, now did she understand that it was trying to kill her? 

"Ali is packing our bags and putting them in the Land Rover, we are leaving now. I don't want you to spend another moment here. I'll help you get dressed and then we'll be ready to go. First, it was after me, now it's after you, but I'm not letting it have either of us. I'm afraid, Evie, and you should be too." 

Roma talked to the drivers. They would follow them to Luxor where they would spend the night before they continued to Cairo. Missy Roma was paying not only their full wages, but extra, Allah be praised, but they would not receive their money until the sarcophagus reached Cairo. 

Roma got behind the wheel of the Land Rover. Although it was dark, she was now familiar with the road they would take. Ardeth sat in front with her and Rick sat in the back holding Evelyn securely in his arms. 

She put the key in the ignition and trying to turn it over. Silence. She pumped the accelerator and tried again but the engine would not start. "Damn," she said and slumped in the driver's seat. 

"Let me look," said Rick, the jack of all trades, and got out of the car and threw open the hood. He peered underneath, fiddled with whatever his fingers could coax into moving then called, "Try again." 

This time, by a miracle, the engine started. "That was no accident," Ardeth muttered, "but the help of God that is saving us." 

"I just may agree with you on that," said Rick and jumped in the car, "Get us the hell out of here."


	21. Ghost Mists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The drive back to Cairo is anything but uneventful. The desert at night is more treacherous than during the day. And when they do reach Cairo, things do not go as planned

If the desert was treacherous in the heat of the day, it was equally perilous at night. The road was mainly sand pressed down by the weight of vehicles traversing it, but it was not clearly defined. Roma would have driven as fast as the Range Rover would go, but it was not advisable. Stray from the basic track and tires could be trapped by the treacherous sands, and it was not just her but the whole caravan. 

A further complication had arisen. Sometimes mists form in the desert and at night they took on an unearthly and deadly quality. This one had seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. It was not solid fog, but swirled around, like ghosts whirling through the air, seeming at times to swoop down blocking Roma's vision. 

"This is no ordinary fog," said Ardeth, "It has a will of its own. Take care and do not go fast, the other drivers will not like it but this seems to have a deadly intent, may Allah protect us!" 

Then the wailing started up and Evie covered her ears, saying, "Make it stop, make it stop, I cannot bear it!" She started sobbing and buried her head in Rick's shoulder. 

Ardeth leaned over the seat and put his warm hand on Evie's thigh to comfort her. "Do not listen to the voices, your fear gives them power. They will disappear with the mist." Evie, still sobbing, nodded, her fears not assuaged but comforted just the same. 

Just don't let an animal run in front of me, Roma prayed, trying to see the faint marks of the road through the mist. Just how long would this devil fog last, anyway? She peered ahead, watching for signs of the road. If they got off track they would be lost and would not find their way back until dawn—if the fog had lifted by then. 

She was growing tired and gratefully let Rick take over for her. Their sleep had been interrupted by the events of the previous night and they all were tired, but there was no option but to continue. It was a long drive to the Luxor ferry, but as they grew closer to the towns on its outskirts the road would improve. In the meantime, there was nothing to do but drive. 

She and Evie held tightly onto one another. "Do try to go to sleep Evie," Roma said, "It will make it easier for you. I know we are driving slowly, but we must. You're not alone, we will keep you safe." 

Long hours passed, but lights from the first villages soon appeared like little twinkling stars. The mist reluctantly dissipated as they grew closer to the Nile. Roma almost clapped her hands in glee at the welcome sight of the great river. 

Home, she thought, we're almost home. He hasn't gotten us, not yet, but I can fight him on my terms in Cairo. 

The first streaks of dawn were concealed by the mist, but as the hot summer sun broke through it was consumed by the early summer heat. The Nile was a sparkling blue, bordered by the green bands of cultivation. 

The great white ferries sat at their docks, smoke coming from their funnels. The sight of the ferries filled Roma with hope, soon they would be home, and on her familiar ground. 

They pulled along the roadside and Roma took out the strongbox and distributed wages to the men. The drivers of the lorry that carried the sarcophagus received half their wages and would receive the remainder when the sarcophagus and skeletons were unloaded in Cairo. 

"I want to go home, Ardeth," but she meant Luxor, not Cairo. Like it or not, they would have to make the trip to Cairo. 

"You can't, Evie will be safer in Cairo and you have to deliver the coffin and sarcophagus to the Cairo Museum." 

"Let's go then," she said, "I want to take them directly to the museum, I don't want that sarcophagus in my house." 

They drove into the bowels of the ship. Since it was early, they were able to bribe the steward into assigning them a large, roomy stateroom. They would be able to get some much-needed rest. The drivers could remain with the vehicle, or take turns watching the treacherous cargo. 

Roma was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Evie lay down, but after the long hours she spent unconscious she was restless and could not sleep. Rick sat next to her, maintaining his vigil as he watched over his wife. 

Roma woke after a scant three hours sleep and Ardeth took her up on deck. "I wish I could talk to Lacau now. I'm sure he'll be at the museum but I hate to just surprise him." 

"With what you have to give him, I'm sure he won't mind. Once the coffin is safely handed over to him, we will be safe again." 

She sighed and rested her head against him, unaware of the stares they were receiving. "I wish I could say the same thing, this spirit is powerful. Maybe, if the 'screaming mummy' is Pentawaret, he'll be content with being united with his wife, maybe. Or maybe he is out for vengeance because we disturbed her grave. Maybe his tomb didn't contain his hieroglyphs so they couldn't be defaced—but they found it and his mummy anyway. Maybe he lay there for centuries plotting his revenge—and now he has help." 

"The angry dead are dangerous indeed," agreed Ardeth, "Evie was almost possessed, and she may not be out of danger." I am only glad that it was her and not you, he thought but did not say. 

They ate their excellent meal in silence, not even the bottle of French wine that she ordered could lift their spirits. Despite the chatter of the diners around them, no one wished to speak. The same silence surrounded them as they returned to their cabin. 

The women lay down on the beds to catch some sleep while Rick and Ardeth went up on deck to take the air. Evie did not even object but nodded her assent as he kissed her before he left. 

Roma woke to Ardeth shaking her awake. "We are docking at Cairo," he told her, We must get down to the trucks. The drivers are eager to finish their job and get paid." 

"I am anxious to get rid of this sarcophagus, I am beginning to wish we never found it. I only hope that Lacau is there, but if he is not, an assistant can take it off our hands. This was supposed to be a dream find for me, instead, it has turned to a nightmare." 

The doors to the hold opened and the cars began to pull out. Roma, Ardeth, Rick, and Evelyn pulled out in the Rover, the lone lorry remaining that held sarcophagus followed in its wake. 

"Here goes nothing," Roma muttered as they made their way through the traffic of downtown Cairo. They made slow progress, they had hit afternoon traffic, blocked by both cars and animals, but eventually, they pulled up to the back entrance to the museum. 

"Wait for me," she told Rick and Evie, but Ardeth insisted on accompanying into the museum. She looked up, "I don't see anyone in his office, but let's try," and took him by the arm and dragged him up the stairs with her. 

Lacau's assistant was sitting in his office. "Is Dr. Lacau available," Roma asked, using the polite address for the museum's director. 

"No," his assistant shook his head, "He will not be back for a week." 

"I need to speak to him; I have found something he will want to see. I need to hand it over to the museum, it's three thousand years old and very fragile. My name is Roma Wilkes-Emberly." 

"Ah yes, the finder of 'The Pharaoh's Cache'. It's become a very popular exhibit. I can try to reach him, but I don't know how long it will take for him to return. Can't you store it yourself until he returns?" 

"Is there any way the museum store it until Lacau returns? I don't wish to keep it in my home, it's far too valuable." Roma was using her most persuasive voice but it was doing no good. 

"I can't accept it without Mr. Lacau's permission, you'll have to wait until then. Maybe Cairo university will agree to take it, although I am not sure." 

"Never mind," snapped Roma, "Please tell Dr. Lacau that Roma Wilkes-Emberly has a find she wishes to turn over to him, and can he call her as soon as possible." She turned around, resisting the urge to slam the door shut. Ardeth took her arm and she leaned against him. 

"Fool!" Roma struggled to keep her voice low, "The absolute fool! Lacau would have taken it off our hands—immediately. This idiot didn't bother to ask to look at what we had. Everyone is so wrapped up in the gold Carter is finding in Tutankhamon's tomb that they think of nothing else. What we have is a danger to us, but now we have no choice." They exited the museum and when they reached the truck Roma began to pound on it in frustration. 

"Any luck?" Rick asked but Roma's frustration was clear on her face. 

"No, Lacau was gone and he is not picky about who works for him. He won't be back for a week and now I don't know what to do. We'll have to keep it with us until he comes back. I hope he fires that nincompoop assistant of his." 

"What? We have to keep it?" Evie appeared at Rick's side, "We can't, what if...?" 

"I don't know, Evie," the weariness in Roma's voice was evident, "I'm tempted to dump it into the Nile—it will be too much trouble to return it to the desert now." 

She wrapped her arms around Ardeth's waist and started crying—a sign to her of weakness but now it didn't seem to matter. "What am I going to do, Ardeth?" 

"We don't bring it into the house," he answered, "We can put it in the guest house, we can store it in the garage." 

"Let's leave it in the alley and hope someone steals it." Rick said, "Do we need it?" 

"Too late for that," said Roma, "We can be prosecuted now for destroying it. For better or for worse it's our responsibility now. I wish we never would have found it, I wish we'd left it in the ground." 

"The garage then," said Ardeth, "We can lock the door and it will be safe there, at least. We must do something; the workers want the rest of their wages and to return home." 

"They are probably as eager to be rid of it as we are and I don't blame them. Ardeth, I'm afraid for Evelyn." 

"And I am afraid for you. You have Rick and me to watch over you, we won't let anything happen to you." 

The coffins were unloaded and the workers were paid. Roma made sure that the faithful Omar received extra. "Be careful, miss," he said as he left, "There is a curse on this coffin, you must get rid of it as soon as you can." 

It was exhaustion that drove them to bed that night. None of them were looking forward to sleeping but none of them could keep their eyes open so there was nothing to do but go to bed. 

Late at night: The full moon lit the courtyard, shining bright as day. There was no sound, nothing, not the nightjars, the insects, not even the screech of cats fighting in the alley. 

Until. The sound of a heartbeat coming from the garage, beating louder and louder until it was Evelyn who had been sleeping peacefully-until now. She sat up and tried to shake Rick awake but to no avail, he was sleeping like the dead. 

She slipped quietly out of bed, unable to stop herself, and did not even wrap herself in her shawl as she let herself out the patio door and made her way to the garage despite herself.


	22. Not With a Bang but With a Whimper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Dacy have their first fight: someone has rung his house and asked for him, leaving the caller's name as "Dacy". She is furious, she promised to stay out of their marriage and she doesn't know his number or where he lives. She is angry that he does not take the promise she made to him seriously and tells him to get out. She calls Bob Weir and asks if she can stay with him for a while until she decides what to do. He suggests that she return to California because there will be plenty of jobs that will pay more than what she earns. It is what she wants to hear so she takes him up on it. For a week or so she is happy and then one morning at six there is a pounding on the door and she fears the worst.

I suppose it was inevitable, but it came out of nowhere, neither of us suspected it, but the wound would last for a long time.

I'd had a hard late night at the hospital. I work swing shift and took overtime whenever I could because it meant more money. My hours suited Rick perfectly, and he'd show up about two or three in the morning, stay a few hours, and then go home. It was Malibu all over again, and in the past, I'd been happy with what we had,but now I wasn't seeing as much of him. He was on the road because he needed the moneyand the audience, but he found it hard to fit in time for me.

It had been a bad night at the hospital and when I finally got home, I was exhausted. I fell into a deep sleep and was wakened when I heard the door slam and angry footsteps coming up the stairs. My door flew open and Rick reached out and jerked me out of bed. He took hold of my arms and yelled, "Why did you do it, Dacy, why did you do it?"

"What are you talking about—let go of me." I tried to pull away from him, "What's wrong with you?"

"You called my house and asked for me, didn't you? You even gave your name."

"What?" I want to slap him, "You know I wouldn't do anything like that. I promised you a long time ago I'd stay out of your marriage."

He's still angry at me, he doesn't believe me, but why? If I ever needed to get in touch with him I have his manager's number—he made sure of that after my last stint in the hospital.

"Do you want to break me and Elizabeth up?" He's not paying attention to anything I say.

"No, I don't and I don't know your number; I don't even know where you live. I made a promise and I've kept it; you know I wouldn't do that to you, don't you, don't you? And besides, you don't want me to replace Elizabeth, she puts up with your shit but I wouldn't. I don't know why she puts up with the heroin-I'd make you clean up and stay clean. I can't believe you're saying this to me, how could you?"

He looks at me, he doesn't believe me and that cuts me to the core. I've loved this man for twelve years; I've accepted the fact that I will always come second but he's meant so much to me and in his own way has been good to me. Until now.

"Does my word mean nothing to you? Why don't you believe me? I uprooted my life to be with you. I'd never, ever do anything to hurt you. I love you, you bastard." I'm pouring my heart out here but it doesn't seem to be doing any good.

He looks at me like he wants to kill me, or at least hit me. That angry look is cutting me to the core—I know he's upset but why is he believing the lie? I've stayed out of his marriage for twelve years, I've stayed away from him and Elizabeth for twelve years, what makes him think anything has changed?

I push him against his chest, "Get out of here, I don't want to look at you. No matter how angry you are you must know I wouldn't do this and if you don't, fuck you. Just get away from me, you don't know how badly you've hurt me."

For a moment he looks confused, then he turns around and goes out the door. Neither one of us wants to be the one to say it's over, neither one of us is sure we want it to be, but neither of us is willing to say they're sorry—and I've done nothing to apologize for.

I rummage around in my nightstand and find a couple of Valiums and take them, then lay down. I'm too upset to sleep, and my mind won't turn off the memory of the look on his face. The valium doesn't work right away but eventually, I calm down and fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.

I wake up around ten and start crying and can't stop. I'm hurting in a way I've never hurt before and there's no way I'm going to make it through work tonight. I call my manager and tell her I have the flu and I don't know when I'll be back to work. Nurses are hypochondriacs and the slightest sniffle becomes something more and I'm going to take advantage of it.

After I hang up I call Weir. He's probably not awake yet, but sometimes ten is not too early to call. I haven't talked to him in a couple of years but he's always told me that if I needed him all I had to do was call. And I need him, I need him and I need to get away from here.

After a few rings, he answers. "Hello?" his voice sounds a little groggy and I hope that he hasn't had a late night. I also hope that he's sleeping alone because this is going to be hard if he's with a woman.

"Bob, hi, it's Dacy, I'm sorry to wake you."

"No, it's okay, what's going on? It's been a while." His voice sounds a little more alert, and even glad to hear from me.

"Can I come and stay with you for a few days? Please?" My voice is cracking a little but I can't help it.

"Well, I'm recording right now but—Dacy are you all right? Is it Rick?"

"I'm not all right." I didn't answer the second question, I didn't need to. "I have to get away from here. I don't want to talk about it over the phone, I just need to see you."

"Okay, get the first flight you can and let me know when you'll be arriving. If he hurt you..."

"He hurt me, but not physically, he wouldn't do something like that."

"Take care, I'll see you tonight. I'm worried about you Dacy."

"Thank you, I'm sorry to..."

"Don't be sorry, I told you could call if you needed me and I meant it. Now get your ass on the plane and call me when you get to SF."

I hang up and pack my suitcase then go downstairs and ask Kat if she'll look after my cats and get my mail. I give her a hundred-dollar bill and promise more. I give her Bob's number if she needs to get in touch with me.

I wanted to drive myself to the airport and park my car but Kat insists on driving me. I can't get a flight until two, but I grab it. I'm flying first class and I have an open ticket—I don't know how long I'm staying.

I take more valium on the plane and have a scotch. I'm afraid to stay awake, I'm afraid I'll cry during the flight and I don't want to do that. I sleep about six hours then drink some coffee, I slept through dinner but I hate airline food anyway, even first class.

I freshened up in the tiny bathroom before we land, and I'm as presentable as I can make myself. It's seven o'clock Pacific time and I know that Bob is going to take me to dinner. All of this should make me feel good, or at least better, but it doesn't. I put a smile on my reflection in the mirror and take a deep breath.

When you fly first class you get to board first and disembark first. I walk through the chute that leads out of the plane into the waiting area and I see a familiar figure.

He looks good, tall, slim, healthy, so different from Rick. Rick is handsome but the years of the drugs and alcohol will take a toll on him someday, but it doesn't mean I don't melt every time I see him.

Bob lives clean. He's careful about what he eats, he exercises and it shows. His drug use at best is recreational. That's something we have in common and I know while I'm staying with him there will be trips to the gym, bike rides, and we'll probably go hiking in Big Sur.

He strides towards me on his long legs, grinning, and picks me up by the waist and spins me around, then kisses me. I like his way of saying hello. He steers me to the car and opens the door, then gets in behind the wheel.

I'm kind of tired so I'm not talking much and finally he says, "Okay, do you talk about it now or after dinner."

I turn to him and give him a half-smile, "After dinner, please, I don't want to spoil our meal."

He takes me to China Town and we ordered a meal heavy on vegetables. I hadn't eaten all day, let alone the crummy airline meal, so I was starving. We ordered Kung Pao happy family for the meat for me, vegetarian egg foo young, and a vegetable dish, along with plain rice.

There was a look of sympathy on his face which I wanted to wipe off, but he's an empathetic sort of person. I remember when he told me that I should leave Rick, that I'd have to make that choice at some point. He hadn't thought my moving to New York a good idea and now I was wondering if he was right.

We left the restaurant hand in hand and when we got to his car, he put the top down. "If you have a convertible, you might as well take advantage of it. It's a nice night."

I covered my hair baseball cap and we began to take the long way to Marin County. He looked at me and asked, "Are you ready to tell me what's wrong now?" So I did, word for word,

He took his hand off the shift stick and put it briefly on my leg. "He must have been upset about what happened. I've never dealt with that scenario, but I can imagine how he must have felt. But at the same time you've been with him for twelve years and he should have known you wouldn't do something like that. Do you have any idea who would have done it?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Who knows who did it or how? The only time we're open is when he brings me on the road and he's surrounded by the people he's playing with and his friends. We try to keep in on the down-low but when he takes me on tour, we relax and let our guard down. What I can't figure out is how they got Rick's home number. Or why they'd do it." I look down at my hands, "I don't know where to go from here."

"You need to leave New York," he looks at me briefly before he turns his attention back to the road, "I know this hurts, but maybe it's time to make a fresh start. You can stay with me if you want, until you get settled, look for a job, find a place to live."

Leaving New York is something I hadn't thought of until now, but it makes a sort of sense. I'm not going to hook up with Bob, I don't think that's what he wants and I don't want to lose my friend. I'll hamper his social life, but after a while, things will be back to normal.

I remember the "Marrying Maiden" hexagram and how I had doubts about moving to New York in the first place. Rick was pushing me and I was worn down after being mugged and it was easy to ignore the doubts I was having. And things had been good, at first. We'd had our ups and downs but I had felt loved.

"So what do you think?"

"I don't think I want to go back to New York right now. I've never stopped being homesick for California but I moved for Rick and tried not to think about it."

"So, do you want to stay with me?" He looks at me with that handsome face and I know what I'm going to say even before it comes out of my mouth.

"Can I, for a while? I know I have to go back eventually, but only to take care of business and put my house up for sale. I'm assuming I can find a job out here, hospitals always want nurses—I'm hoping I can make more money here."

"Why don't you find a place in the Bay Area? You'd be closer that way."

"I hear the rents have increased a lot, and I'm not sure I can afford it. There will be a lot more hospitals in Los Angeles."

"Maybe you can afford the rent if you can get a manager's position. They have hospitals here, you know, you could check out Stanford and get a place in San Jose. The Winchester Mystery House is there, I know how much you like it."

"Can we talk about it later? I want to fly to Anaheim and go to Disneyland—you don't have to go with me I'm perfectly happy going by myself."

"I guess I can take you to Disneyland," he smiles, "I think Disneyland would be a good idea if I can take a few days off. Anything to put a smile back on your face."

I'm relaxed when we go to bed that night, and for the first time, I haven't thought about Rick. I feel safe with Bob. I miss Rick, but I'm angry and I'm not ready to go back.

For a week I'm in a happy place. Bob's in the studio a lot and sometimes I join him. He's loaned me one of his cars and I'm learning my way around San Francisco. It's not Los Angeles and there are no good places to surf and I miss it. I'm looking in the Chronicle to see about employment and rentals. I'm torn between LA and San Francisco but Bob reminds me I don't have to make up my mind yet.

Everything is bliss until someone starts pounding on his door at six in the morning. "I'll get it," Bob mumbles, and he goes down the stairs and opens the door and I hear a familiar voice and wonder how the hell he found me here.

The line: "Not with a bang but with a whimper," comes from the poem, "The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot.


	23. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evie is taken by the spirit of Pentaweret and Roma, Rick, and Ardeth must find a way to get her back. The sarcophagus seems to have come to life, or whoever was in it, and now it is too dangerous to leave behind

Even the most hardened adventurer enjoys the occasional night's sleep in a comfortable bed. For Rick O'Connell, the satisfaction lay in being able to hold his wife in his arms while he slept, something he had not been able to do for days. That plus the luxury of being in the relative safety of Cairo assured him that he could rest without worry.

At first, it had been a good night's sleep—until he woke up and found Evie's half of the bed empty. He thought she got up to use the lavatory but when she didn't return, he began to worry.

He pulled on his pants, then went to the door of the bathroom and tapped gently on the door. "Evie?" he asked but when he received no answer, he opened the door and found it empty. Oh no, he thought and tore out of the house heedless of his bare feet and ran to the garage.

There were footprints in the dust on the patio—the prints of Evie's delicate feet. The prints led from the patio to the garage, which had been locked but now the padlock hung open and the door was open just enough to admit her tall, slim figure.

He swung the doors open with a crash. There, as in the desert, sat the sarcophagus, flanked by two torches. The scent of frankincense hung in the air but there was no sign of his wife.

Rick O'Connell screamed and the heart-rending sound of that scream brought Roma and Ardeth to see what was wrong.

Rick stood, his fists clenched, in the open doorway of the garage, his breaths coming in heavy gasps. Seeing Rick's tears was unbearable, but Roma went to him and put her slim hand on his bicep.

"She's gone, Evie's gone, what happened to her, Roma?" Rick's voice was hoarse and he labored to speak, "Tell me, what do you think happened to her?"

"I think you know; I think we all know. Pentaweret has her trapped in the spirit world. I don't know how; I don't know much about these things. I've studied a little Egyptian magic but there is so much I don't know."

"What has he done with my wife?" Rick's voice grew louder and seemed to echo through the courtyard, "Where is she?"

"She's with him, he's hypnotized her, put her into a trance. She believes she is Sitamun-Ta Sherit, his wife. I think he was watching us as we excavated her mummy, hoping that she would rise from the dead, but she didn't."

"He committed suicide—according to the Turin Papyrus. He was guilty of a terrible crime so even though he had his tomb he can't rest. Maybe Sitamun was an innocent party so she wasn't punished, she was able to pass into the Land of the Dead. He's spent an eternity alone and angry and then he saw Evie who is not only beautiful she's half Egyptian. He saw her and decided that he wanted to have her." The expression of sorrow on Rick's face cut at Roma's heart.

"Because of him, Evie thinks she is Sitamun-Ta Sherit because that is who he is telling her she is. As far as she knows, she is in ancient Egypt, wandering through the palace at his side. Who she really is has been forgotten."

"Except." Roma paused so Rick could take in her words, "Except in a little corner of her mind. Evie is there, sleeping. The longer he has her, the weaker her true self will become. But she may wake up, if only briefly and try to find a way back to her true self and you. You see, she doesn't forget who she is because she can't forget. The danger is, the longer he has her, the harder it will be for the real Evie to emerge."

Rick let out a heavy sigh and shook his head, "Dealing with Imhotep was simple compared to this. How can we get her back?"

"The true Evie must awaken and try to make her escape." Ardeth took over for Roma, "My tribe has stories about this. We must try to call Evie back but she must find her way."

"And how does she do that?" if there was skepticism in Rick's voice, no one could blame him.

"There is a tiny dot of light that will show her the way. She will have to see it for herself and follow it. It will not be easy, she will have to fight her way out of the trance and if Pentawaret notices, he will try to send her back to sleep so the spirit of his wife will take over."

"Ardeth is right, Rick, Evie will have to help herself but we will do what we can to help her. We must go back to the desert. That tomb was intended to be his house of eternity and I believe that he is tied to it. He never intended to spend eternity alone, so he buried Sitamun with him. That tomb must be his portal so we must find the entrance. It may be a false door, anything. He must have been a powerful magician in his lifetime, just think, he was so sure that if he got his father out of the way the throne of Egypt would be his!"

"So how do we get her back?" asked Rick.

"Your love for her, your love for her will help call her back. It's not going to be easy. We have to go back to the tomb, that's the only way we'll get her back."

She did not tell either of the men what she was wondering, if she could unite the mummies would the souls of Pentaweret and his wife be re-unite? Would that be enough to release Evie from Pentaweret's spell?

"Maybe not," she told herself, "she has been with him in that tomb for millennia, but when Ardeth and I entered, he tried to attach himself to me. When he was thwarted, he bided his time until we returned and then tried to attach himself to Evie—only with her he succeeded."

"I had thought of returning her sarcophagus to the tomb but I don't think that will do any good," she said out loud, "His body is in the Egyptian Museum and maybe if she can join him, his spirit will rest at last. I'd like to dynamite that tomb; I think it's evil."

"Anyway, we have to go back to the desert. We may have to do some digging so I'll take along a couple of workers to help us. We'll need a few tents and a cook, and I'll have to pay them double because we can't let them know why we're going to dig in the hot season."

"What about the mummy?" Ardeth asked.

"She stays here. We can't wait for Lacau to return and we can't bring her with us. I wish I knew more. I never placed much faith in magic, I'm a scientist. I'm only guessing that we should go to the tomb because I can't think of any other place to start. I know we have to leave soon; we don't dare leave Evie with him for any longer than we have to." She sat down and covered her eyes so that the two men could not see her tears.

They spent the day making preparations to return to the desert. Omar insisted on going with them and brought along his brother Yusef who was an excellent camp cook. They would only take two vehicles, one that Omar would drive, filled with food and equipment, and Roma's beloved Land Rover which would convey Rick, Ardeth, and her.

Everything was packed and ready to go. Roma was eager to leave but Ardeth persuaded her that departing early in the morning while the sky was still dark would be best.

She stood in front of the garage, staring at the padlock which kept the door secure. They had erected a shelter of sorts to protect the guard from the sun, and Busa had promised to keep him plied with food and cool drinks. There were two, and they had agreed to four-hour shifts, for the sun's rays shone harshly on the courtyard in the Egyptian summer.

She could not sleep that night and resented the fact that both Rick and Ardeth slumbered peacefully. She threw off the covers, careful not to wake Ardeth, and put on her cotton robe, then grabbed the keys and slipped quietly off to the garage.

"What are you doing?" she asked herself as she unlocked the garage and swung the doors open then stepped inside. There was not enough light to see so she took a match and lit a torch and set it in its holder.

Even in the heat of the summer night, the garage was cold. She walked over the sarcophagus and held her hand above it—waves of cold seemed to emanate from it that rose to the ceiling and went, where?

"We should have left it in the ground," she said to no one in particular and stepped back in alarm as she felt the cold waves slowly start to creep up her arm. "What are you?" she asked, then turned and ran back to the house.

Ardeth was waiting for her, his robe wrapped loosely around him. "I woke up and you weren't in bed and I became worried. There was only one place you could be."

"I want to burn it, Ardeth, but I can't until we get Evie back. It's evil, Ardeth, she may have been his wife but I think she must have been a powerful sorceress. We need to take it back to the desert and leave it there, who knows how much harm it could cause? I am frightened for Evie, who knows what this thing will do to her?"

"We will know soon enough," Ardeth answered, "But come back to bed, you are shaking with cold." He led her back to their bedroom.

Even in the warmth of his embrace, she could not stop trembling. She held onto him tightly, wanting the comfort of him but the fear she felt enveloped her. He pressed her against him holding onto her until the convulsive shivers finally stopped.

"We have to leave tomorrow, we can't wait any longer," she told him, "Maybe it's a good thing Lacau was not there. We have to take it with us, it's too dangerous." They both knew what she meant. "Then, when we get Evie back, I'm going to burn it. I don't care if I can't ever excavate again, we've brought an evil into this world that should have been left in the ground." She buried her face against his chest and started to cry.

**Author's Note:**

> Does anybody like this story enough to give it some kudos? Please?


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